Current:Home > ContactUkraine says it now has a foothold on the eastern bank of Dnieper River near Kherson -FinanceAcademy
Ukraine says it now has a foothold on the eastern bank of Dnieper River near Kherson
View
Date:2025-04-14 20:35:41
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! (1641)
Related
- Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
- Miley Cyrus' Mom Tish Cyrus Marries Dominic Purcell in Malibu Wedding
- Saudi Arabia says it executed U.S. national convicted of killing and torturing his father
- British nurse Lucy Letby found guilty of murdering 7 babies
- Gen. Mark Milley's security detail and security clearance revoked, Pentagon says
- Dealer who sold fatal drugs to The Wire actor Michael K. Williams sentenced to 10 years in prison
- Where do the 2024 presidential candidates stand on abortion? Take a look
- Why we love Bright Side Bookshop in Flagstaff, Ariz. (and why they love 'Divine Rivals')
- NFL Week 15 picks straight up and against spread: Bills, Lions put No. 1 seed hopes on line
- Former respiratory therapist in Missouri sentenced in connection with patient deaths
Ranking
- Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
- The University of New Orleans picks 5 semifinalists in their search for a president
- Dwayne Haskins' widow settles with driver and owners of dump truck that hit and killed him
- 1 killed, thousands under evacuation orders as wildfires tear through Washington state
- Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look
- Where is the next FIFA World Cup? What to know about men's, women's tournaments in 2026 and beyond
- Miley Cyrus' Mom Tish Cyrus Marries Dominic Purcell in Malibu Wedding
- Spoilers! 'Blue Beetle' post-credit scene makes a big reveal about future of DC universe
Recommendation
Federal hiring is about to get the Trump treatment
‘Born again in dogs’: How Clear the Shelters became a year-round mission for animal lovers
Have Mercy and Take a Look at These Cute Pics of John Stamos and His Son Billy
Maryland reports state’s first case of locally acquired malaria strain in over 40 years
A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
Lil Tay is alive, living with her mom after custody, child support battle in Canada
Hollywood studios offer counterproposal to screenwriters in effort to end strike
Maui water is unsafe even with filters, one of the lessons learned from fires in California