Ukraine War: Kiev secures bridgehead across main Dnipro River – Reports

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By Jaroslav Lukiev, BBC News

27 minutes ago

photo caption,

Russian forces destroyed the main Antonevsky Bridge over the Dnipro River when they were forced to withdraw the previous November

It was reported that Ukrainian forces had established positions on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in the southern Kherson region.

The region is partly controlled by Russia and crossing the river could be important in future attacks.

The US-based Institute for the Study of War says Russian military bloggers have published “enough geolocated screenshots and text reports to corroborate” the progress.

BBC Ukraine says its military sources have reported “certain movement across [the] Dnipro “near the city of Kherson.

The Ukrainian army did not confirm this movement, while Russia denied these reports.

But if reports that Ukraine has secured a bridgehead on the east bank are true, it could be important in helping Kiev push back Russian forces.

Ukrainian advances in the region may, in the future, cut off the land corridor to Ukraine’s Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.

However, military experts say any movements of Ukrainian forces in the area of ​​the bridge – criss-crossed by floodplains, irrigation canals and other water obstacles – would be a difficult task.

And the Ukrainian advance will be further complicated by Russia’s significant advantage in the air.

The Ukrainian military has been publicly speaking for some time about preparations for a major counterattack, without specifying where and when it could be launched.

Until now, the Kherson region on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River was under Russian control, with the wide river serving as a natural barrier.

The provincial capital – located on the West Bank – was liberated by Ukrainian forces last November.

In a report on Sunday, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said that “geometric footage released on April 23 indicates that Ukrainian forces are operating in areas northwest of Oleshki on the eastern bank” of the Dnipro bank.

The ISW added that there was insufficient information to analyze the scale of the reported Ukrainian advance – or other intentions of the Ukrainian military.

On Monday, Russian military blogger WarGonzo reported that Ukrainian forces are “trying to gain a foothold in Bolshoi Potemkin”. [Velykyi Potyomkin – Ukrainian] Island ”, which is located between the Old and New Dnipro canals.

Natalya Homenyuk, spokeswoman for Ukraine’s Southern Command, did not confirm or deny reports that Ukrainian forces had secured a beachhead on the eastern bank.

“The hard work continues,” she told Ukrainian TV channels.

The spokeswoman stressed that the military operation requires “informational silence until it becomes safe enough for our army.”

Meanwhile, the head of the Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, said on Sunday, “there were no bridgeheads on the left bank near Oleshki, or any other places” on this side of the river.

photo caption,

Battle fronts in southern Ukraine as they were last month

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