Russian Shelling As Ukrainian Troops Cross Dnipro River  

Russian

the southern Ukrainian cities of Kherson and Beryslav, destroying approximately 30 buildings and injuring civilians, in response to reports of a Ukrainian advance in the Kherson region onto the Russian-controlled eastern bank of the Dnipro River (also known as the Dnieper River in Russia).

According to a report that was released on Sunday by the US Institute for the Study of War, published geodata as well as claims from Russian military bloggers suggested that Ukrainian forces have built positions on the eastern bank of the river.

the scope and objectives of these Ukrainian successes, which were recorded for the first time, were obscure.

During a Ukrainian offensive late last year, Russian forces withdrew from the regional capital, also known as Kherson, and from the west bank of the Dnieper River in the region.

Natalia Humeniuk, a spokeswoman for Ukraine’s southern command, neither verified nor denied the report of the riverbank advance, which she told Ukrainian television foreshadowed “very powerful shelling” in the neighborhoods encircling the cities of Kherson and Beryslav on the western bank.

“In response to this intelligence, the enemy has significantly intensified its attacks on the opposite bank,” she said, referring to the rumored river crossing. She reported that thirty buildings, including a school, had been destroyed and that individuals had been hurt.

I want everyone to understand how tough it is to cross an obstacle like the Dnipro, for example, when the front line follows such a broad and potent river, she remarked.

For months, the Dnipro has served as the contact line in the Kherson region, where the capital is routinely bombarded by Russian forces stationed on the opposite side of the river.

Ukrainian forces have a foothold near Oleshky, across the Dnipro River Delta from Kherson, and are approaching Dachi, according to the Institute for the Study of War. For this evaluation, the think tank cited information from Russian military blogger websites.Ukrainian forces have not established a foothold on the east bank of the river, according to the Kremlin-appointed leader of the Kherson region.

Vladimir Saldo stated on the Telegram messaging app that Russian forces are “in full control” of the region, and he speculated that the images referenced by the Institute for the Study of War may have depicted Ukrainian sabotage units that “managed to take a selfie” across the Dnipro before being forced to retreat.

Analysts are largely of the opinion that if Ukraine launches a spring counteroffensive, a major objective would be to breach the land corridor that Russia was able to seize early in the conflict between its territory and the occupied Crimean Peninsula. This would necessitate traversing the Dnieper River.

They have established positions west of the Antonivsky bridge where they have “established stable supply lines” after weeks of operations on the east bank. According to the ISW, one blogger alleged that Russian forces control an area 1.5 kilometers (less than a mile) behind the bridge, while Ukrainian forces control the remaining territory.

More than a year after Russia’s invasion, the conflict has become a war of attrition in which neither party can gain momentum.The fiercest combat has happened in eastern Donetsk, where Russia is trying to isolate Bakhmut despite Ukrainian resistance.

Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Defense, stated on Sunday that Moscow’s forces had captured two more neighborhoods in the western part of Bakhmut, without providing details or elaborating on which areas are still under Ukrainian control.

In light of Ukraine’s recent acquisition of sophisticated weapons from its Western allies and the training of its soldiers in the West, the likelihood of a counteroffensive in the coming months is expanding.

Last week, Patriot missiles manufactured in the United States arrived in Ukraine, and according to Ukrainian military spokesman Yuriy Ihnat, some have already been deployed on the battlefield.

Russia is expected to launch more intense attacks in the spring, but top Russian defense officials may prefer to consolidate gains in Ukraine rather than launch costly new operations due to material and manpower shortages, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

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