Current:Home > MyUkraine says it now has a foothold on the eastern bank of Dnieper River near Kherson -FundPrime
Ukraine says it now has a foothold on the eastern bank of Dnieper River near Kherson
View
Date:2025-04-24 15:01:51
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A top Ukrainian official said its troops have established a beachhead on the eastern bank of the Dnieper River near Kherson, an important advance in bridging one of Russia’s most significant strategic barriers in the war.
Andriy Yermak, head of the president’s office, provided no details but confirmed the development that has been widely discussed in military forums over the past month.
“Against all odds, Ukraine’s defense forces have gained a foothold on the left bank of the Dnieper,” Yermak told the Hudson Institute, a conservative Washington think tank, in a speech Monday.
Ever since Russian forces left the city of Kherson and the territory around it in November 2022, the only area they controlled on the west bank of the Dnieper, the river became a natural dividing line along the southern battlefront, preventing Ukrainian troops from advancing further into the Kherson region and towards Russian-annexed Crimea.
The barrier also allowed Russia to concentrate more troops in the heavily mined and fortified Zaporizhzhia region and eastern Ukraine.
Since the summer, Ukrainian forces have crossed the Dnieper in small groups to create a foothold near the Kherson bridge and more recently sought to expand their presence in nearby villages on the east bank, including Krynky.
The Institute for the Study of War in Washington said Yermak’s comments confirm its own assessments over the past month that Ukraine was conducting larger-than-usual ground operations on the eastern bank of the river and appeared to be holding its positions and supplying troops in the Russian-controlled Kherson region.
Satellite imagery from Monday showed forces advancing on Krynky, one of the areas on the eastern bank of the Dnieper about 22 miles (35 kilometers) northeast of the city of Kherson, the ISW said.
Russian military bloggers have reported intense fighting near Krynky.
The Moscow-appointed governor for the Russia-occupied part of the Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, said Ukrainian forces lost up to two battalions crossing the Dnieper and trying to maintain their foothold on the left bank.
On his Telegram channel, he claimed that Ukrainian forces holed up in Krynky were facing a “fiery hell” of intense bombardment and were being destroyed “on a large scale.”
He said that the Russian soldiers were surprised “to what extent the Ukrainian command doesn’t care about personnel lives, sending dozens and hundreds to their death.”
The Ukrainian forces have long established positions in several areas on the eastern bank of the Dnieper and sought to expand them, using boats to ferry supplies.
Ukraine lost control over almost the entire Kherson region, including the city of Kherson, in March 2022, right after the full-scale invasion started.
Russian troops advanced from the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, facing almost no resistance even though the Ukraine border was supposed to be heavily guarded.
Crossing the Dnieper could allow Ukraine to outflank Russia without having to break through the heavily mined and fortified front line in the Zaporizhzhia region.
It would also provide the most direct land route to Crimea, where Armiansk, one of the two gateways to the peninsula, lies about 80 kilometers (50 miles) to the south without any significant fortifications in the way.
veryGood! (8)
Related
- The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
- The integration of EIF tokens with AI has become the core driving force behind the creation of the 'AI Robotics Profit 4.0' investment system
- Kentucky House GOP budget differs with Democratic governor over how to award teacher pay raises
- Some New Hampshire residents want better answers from the 2024 candidates on the opioid crisis
- At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
- These Are the 26 Beauty Products That Amazon Can’t Keep In Stock
- Sudan suspends ties with east African bloc for inviting paramilitary leader to summit
- Integration of EIF Tokens with Education
- The 401(k) millionaires club keeps growing. We'll tell you how to join.
- EIF Tokens Involving Charity, Enhancing Society
Ranking
- Tom Holland's New Venture Revealed
- EIF Tokens Give Wings to AI Robotics Profit 4.0's Dreams
- Nigerian leader says ‘massive education’ of youth will help end kidnappings threatening the capital
- 3 men found dead outside Kansas City home after reportedly gathering to watch football game
- What to watch: O Jolie night
- Woman who sent threats to a Detroit-area election official in 2020 gets 30 days in jail
- Coachella 2024 Lineup Revealed: Lana Del Rey, Tyler, The Creator, Doja Cat and No Doubt to Headline
- How Mexico City influenced the icy Alaska mystery of ‘True Detective: Night Country’
Recommendation
Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
Bernie Sanders forces US senators into a test vote on military aid as the Israel-Hamas war grinds on
One of the world's most venomous snakes found hiding in boy's underwear drawer
Shutting down the International Space Station: NASA's bold plans to land outpost in ocean
McKinsey to pay $650 million after advising opioid maker on how to 'turbocharge' sales
Heavy snowfall and freezing rain cause flight, train cancellations across Germany
Coco Gauff avoids Australian Open upset as Ons Jabeur, Carolina Wozniacki are eliminated
Officials respond to pipeline leak at Point Thomson gas field on Alaska’s North Slope