Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, reported that Ukrainian forces have established a presence on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River.
Russia acknowledges Ukrainian positions in a village but asserts their imminent elimination. Securing this area would mark a significant advancement for Ukraine, as Russia withdrew from the river’s right bank a year ago.
The Ukrainian army has been diligently working to establish and maintain a bridgehead on the eastern shore. Mr. Yermak confirmed the capture of a bridgehead, using military terminology to denote a secured position.
According to US-based experts, minor progress has been made into the village of Krynky, situated 2km inland from the river and 30km from the city of Kherson, which was reclaimed by Ukraine a year ago.
On Wednesday, Russia acknowledged the presence of “small groups” of Ukrainian forces in a village on the left bank. Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-appointed official overseeing the occupied Kherson region, claimed these forces were enduring heavy losses and described their situation as a “fiery hell,” asserting they had no chance of breaking through. He stated that additional forces had been deployed, declaring the enemy trapped in Krynky.
This admission followed a peculiar incident where Russian state media initially reported and promptly retracted news of a retreat from left bank positions.
Previous attempts by Ukrainian forces to cross the Dnipro River in small boats faced challenges due to the absence of air superiority in Kyiv. Despite these obstacles, Ukrainian forces managed to establish a foothold in the village.
Securing a bridgehead could enable Ukrainian forces to transport armored vehicles and air defense systems across the river, bringing them closer to potentially breaking through to Crimea, which was unlawfully annexed by Russia in 2014.
“Ukraine’s armed forces are systematically demilitarizing Crimea, having covered 70% of the distance,” stated Mr. Yermak, urging Western nations to provide additional weapons as Russia deploys Iranian drones and North Korean artillery against Ukrainian forces.
President Zelensky reported an escalation in fighting near Avdiivka, emphasizing that Russian forces are experiencing losses in both personnel and equipment while attempting to capture the devastated city.
Despite launching a much-anticipated counteroffensive in June to reclaim territory in the south and east, Ukraine has yet to make significant territorial gains.
