Ukrainian troops conducted “a series of successful operations” on the eastern bank of the Dnieper River in the Russian-occupied part of the Kherson region and established several bridgeheads. This is reported by “Reuters”, referring to the Ukrainian armed forces.
Ukraine’s marines said they continued to conduct operations on the eastern bank of the river.
Earlier this week Russia admitted for the first time that Ukrainian forces had crossed the river.
The Ukrainian military liberated the regional center city of Kherson and the area around it on the west bank of the Dnieper last November. The river as a natural barrier became a dividing line on a large part of the southern front.
Crossing the Dnieper and ferrying heavy military equipment across it could allow Ukrainian forces to deploy a new line of attack south along the most direct land route to Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.
Both Moscow and Kiev claim to have inflicted heavy losses on the other side during operations in the area.
Ukraine: We are pressing Russian forces near Kherson
Reports of Ukrainian troops on the eastern bank of the Dnieper are becoming more frequent
Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to the president of Ukraine, said this week that Ukrainian troops are working to “demilitarize” Crimea and have traveled 70% of the distance.
According to Ukrainian military bloggers Kievan forces crossed the Dnieper in small groups during the summerto establish an initial bridgehead around a railway bridge near Kherson, after which they sought to expand their presence in nearby villages on the east coast, including Krynki.
The progress in Kherson region is happening after months of Ukrainian counteroffensive operations in the east and southeastwhich, however, did not achieve the breakthrough that many Ukrainians had hoped for.
ISW: The mention of Kherson causes a media frenzy in Russia
Chaotic and uncoordinated Russian command in Ukraine shows
Russian forces currently occupy about 17 percent of Ukraine and are on the offensive again in places in the east, including the Kiev-held town of Avdeyevka and the area near the Moscow-held town of Bakhmut.
The Ukrainian army previously reported that battles rage all over the front line and reported 72 clashes between the two sides’ forces in the past 24 hours.
The fiercest fighting has been around Avdeevka, Marinka and Bakhmut in the eastern part of Donetsk Oblast.
Vitaly Barabash, the head of Avdeevka’s military administration, warned that Russian forces were pushing hard toward the city’s industrial zone near a huge coke plant and were massing reinforcements.
Contradictory news from the front in Kherson region
It is unclear whether Russia plans to withdraw further from the region
