The occupying Kherson region’s army claims to have breached Russia’s first defense line.
The alleged push would seem to be a component of Kyiv, Ukraine’s eagerly anticipated military offensive, which is being initiated in an effort to take back the country’s south.
It’s About Time
It comes after many weeks of Ukrainian operations meant to cut off Russian soldiers from their primary supply lines. The military of Russia alleges that following a failed offensive, Ukrainian forces sustained “serious losses.”
Neither the assertions made by Russia nor Ukraine have been independently confirmed.
Kherson was the first significant Ukrainian city to fall under Russian control as forces from the Crimean Peninsula moved into the town in the early days of the conflict.
One regiment of soldiers supported by Russia abandoned their posts in the Kherson area early on Monday, according to the Kakhovka operating group in the south of Ukraine.
It also mentioned the Russian commandos who were the backup left the area of combat.
#Ukraine: A Russian MT-LB armoured vehicle was reportedly captured by the Ukrainian Army after a counter attack in the South. pic.twitter.com/XmOBbSssBa
— 🇺🇦 Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) July 31, 2022
Later, Oleksiy Arestovych, an advisor to the chief of staff for President Volodymyr Zelensky, said Ukrainian troops “burst through the lines in multiple spots.”
President Zelensky delivered a clear warning to Russian forces in his late-night video message, “The Russian military must leave if they hope to live. Head home.”
Tuesday saw more explosions and gunfire heard in the central town of Kherson. Earlier, blasts were reported near Nova Kakhovka, some 55 kilometers (34 miles) to the northeast.
According to the Ria Novosti news agency, the city’s electricity and water supplies were cut off overnight.
A spokesperson for Ukraine’s southern tactical command claimed 13 Russian command posts, three munitions dumps, and crossings across the Dnipro river had all been demolished in a report early on Tuesday.
Russia is Desperate
Officials in Kyiv claim they are now focusing on makeshift Russian raft bridges after using US-supplied Himars rocket devices to destroy important Dnipro crossings in recent weeks.
Military reports in the West claim Kyiv’s attacks are a part of a planned operation to cut off Russian forces on the right (western) side of the river with the eventual objective of retaking the entire Kherson area.
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Igor Girkin about the Ukrainian counter-offensive in the south:
– Armed Forces of Ukraine launched a large-scale attack from the bridgehead on the Ingulets River, from the area of the settlement of Andreevka (Kherson Oblast), and achieved some progress. pic.twitter.com/ddW1syx6LT
— Status-6 (@Archer83Able) August 29, 2022
Russia made substantial attempts to strengthen the western bank, according to a UK defense intelligence report. However, the majority of its troops were “likely understaffed and dependent upon unstable supply routes.”
While asking Ukrainians to have patience, President Zelensky and other senior Ukrainian authorities have been mum on the specifics of the rumored military campaign.
The Russian defense ministry responded to the Ukrainian charges by claiming Ukrainian forces tried to launch an attack in the areas of Kherson and the neighboring Mykolaiv.
Russian state-run news agencies cited the minister as saying this procedure failed and Ukrainian troops “suffered significant losses.”
This article appeared in Powerhouse News and has been published here with permission.
