Ukraine builds several bridgeheads on the east bank of the Dnipro River
The wide Dnipro River has been the front line between Ukrainian and Russian forces in southern Ukraine for a year now. Russia uses the natural barrier for intensive artillery fire, so Ukraine is trying to cross over - possibly successfully, as the military announces.
According to the Ukrainian military, it has carried out "a whole series of successful operations" on the eastern bank of the Dnipro in the occupied Kherson region. According to the Ukrainian General Staff, several bridgeheads have been successfully established there. Further operations on the eastern bank are planned. One of the main objectives is to "drive the enemy as far as possible from the right bank in order to protect the civilian population from continuous Russian shelling".
Ukrainian soldiers would inflict "significant losses" on the Russian military, it added. "The enemy is suffering heavy losses trying to drive our soldiers out of their positions."
The wide Dnipro River has been the front line and a major natural barrier between the Ukrainian and Russian forces in southern Ukraine for a year. The eastern bank has been controlled by Russia since the beginning of the war, the western bank by Ukraine since the liberation of the regional capital of the same name, Kherson, a year ago. However, the remaining population in Kherson does not live in safety: Russia regularly fires artillery at the city.
Fierce fighting since the summer
For some time now, Ukrainian troops have therefore been trying to cross over to the other shore by boat at night and form bridgeheads in order to push the Russian units further inland. This enabled Ukrainian soldiers to set up a position under the destroyed Antonivka Bridge in the summer, to which Russia responded with fierce attacks and air strikes.
However, according to consistent reports, the new bridgeheads are located near Krynky and Pishchanivka, up to 40 kilometers east of Kherson. It is unclear to what extent the Ukrainian army intends to limit Russian artillery fire there.
Fire hell or retreat?
On Wednesday, Russia admitted for the first time that the Ukrainian army had succeeded in crossing the Dnipro and advancing to the Russian-controlled side of the river. Around "one and a half" Ukrainian companies were "in small groups" on the eastern bank of the river, Vladimir Saldo, the governor of the Kherson region appointed by Moscow, explained on Telegram. "We have deployed additional forces," Saldo added. Ukrainian soldiers are stuck in the village of Krynky in a "hell of fire" and are being bombarded with artillery, rockets and drones.
The credibility of the information cannot be verified. Two days earlier, Russian state news agencies had already reported a withdrawal of Russian troops from the Kherson region, but later withdrew them again: "The leadership of the 'Dnipro' grouping has decided to redeploy the armed forces to more favorable positions in the east of the Dnipro (river)," TASS reported. The RIA Novosti agency disseminated a similar text. Around ten minutes later, both announced that the reports had been "canceled".
A little later, the Russian news medium RBK quoted the Russian Ministry of Defense as saying that it was a case of "sending a false message" and a "provocation". It is unclear what exactly was behind the incident.
Source: www.ntv.de
