The Ukrainian army claims to have pushed the Russians “between three and eight kilometers” on the eastern bank of the Dnieper River, occupied by Moscow, the first estimate of its advance in the area after months of fruitless counteroffensive.
kyiv hopes to soon break through the Russian lines and free up more occupied areas, but is running into Russian firepower and solid defenses. Taking positions in depth on the left bank of the Dnieper could lead to a more ambitious Ukrainian operation in the south. The advance is discreet: “Preliminary figures range from 3 to 8 kilometers, depending on the particularities, geography and topography of the left bank,” said the army spokesperson. Natalia Gumeniuk, in statements to Ukrainian television cited by AFP. But what is paramount for kyiv is to be able to deploy large numbers of soldiers, vehicles and artillery equipment. Gaining a foothold in that area is difficult, surrounded by marshes under intense bombardment. Gumeniuk did not specify whether Kiev forces completely control this area of the southern region of Kherson, or whether the Russian army has retreated in the face of the Ukrainian push.
If the progress of these days is confirmed, it would be the biggest advance of the Ukrainian army against the Russian one in several months. The last relevant success claimed by Ukraine in its counteroffensive was the liberation of the people of Robotynein August, in the southern region of Zaporizhia.
Kiev launched in June, with the arms support of its Western allies, an expected counteroffensive against the invading Russian troops, which has not given the expected result and consisted of the Ukrainian army taking over a few towns in the south and east. . But already on Friday, kyiv said it had consolidated positions on the left bank of the Dnieper, and reported “intense fighting” and “strong Russian resistance” on that side of the front. Moscow did not immediately comment, although two Russian agencies reported last week of a tactical withdrawal by the Russians only to withdraw the news hours later.
In this area of southern Ukraine, the Dnieper has served as a front line since the Russian army withdrew from the city of Kherson in November 2022. But the Russians are still close and civilians continue to suffer. A three-year-old girl was injured during the bombing from Kherson and was in intensive care last night.