President Volodymyr Zelensky assured this Friday, November 17, that Ukrainian troops have managed to conquer several positions on the eastern bank of the Dnieper River, occupied by the Russians in the south of the country and one of the most important strategic barriers for Moscow. But, while Zelensky celebrates the progress, the Russian Ministry of Defense assures that the Ukrainian Army has lost almost half a thousand troops in a week when trying to cross the Dnieper River. Added to these casualties, according to an investigation by an independent group, are the deaths of some 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers since the beginning of the Russian invasion.
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The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, referred this Friday, November 17, to the latest advances of his troops south of the Dnieper River, which is the natural barrier that separates them from the Crimean peninsula, occupied by Russia.
The Dnieper River runs through Ukraine from north to south before flowing into the Black Sea in the Kherson region, where it separates the two sides of this war. Ukrainian troops have been located on the western bank since the liberation of the regional capital of the same name on November 11, 2022. But, on the right bank, the Russian Army continues to occupy part of the regions of Kherson and Zaporozhye.
According to the Ukrainian Army, after a “series of successful operations” on the eastern bank of the Dnieper, they placed several nuclear warheads there. Moscow had spoken for the first time last Wednesday, through the pro-Russian governor of the occupied region, Vladimir Saldo, who assured that the Ukrainian troops had managed to cross the river.
“The units of the Ukrainian armed forces managed to dislodge the Russians from their positions on the left bank of the Dnieper and consolidate them,” Ukrainian General Staff spokesman Andri Kovalev said in a video posted on YouTube.
He added: “One of the main objectives of this fight is to move the enemy as far as possible from the right bank in order to protect the Ukrainian civilian population, in particular Kherson, from constant shelling by the Russians.”
The Ukrainian Army recovered the city of Kherson, on the western bank of the Dnieper, a year ago, and is excited about achieving similar results in the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014.
After the operations in that waterway, Zelensky celebrated his country’s military operations and said via Telegram: “Our warriors. Thank you for your strength, to move forward!”
Some 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died in the war, according to report
According to a publication in the Ukrainian weekly Tyzhden, around 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022, a figure that has not yet been confirmed by the Kiev authorities.
According to that media outlet, the number of dead soldiers was calculated based on public statements by Ukrainian leaders about the number of deaths. In addition, figures were sought in official information on decorations for fallen soldiers and in the ‘Book of Memory of the Fallen of Ukraine’, a digital initiative to remember those who have lost their lives in the war.
According to the media, and reported by the EFE agency, the team responsible for this investigation has been able to confirm some 24,500 names of military personnel killed in the war. They have also been able to establish the identity of 15,000 missing persons and 3,400 prisoners of war.
That same investigation counts between 90,000 and 100,000 wounded soldiers, and warns that the majority would have returned to combat after receiving treatment.
Israel-Hamas war affects conflict in Ukraine
Zelensky has expressed concern that much of the Western weapons destined for Ukraine are now diverted to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, reducing supplies to his country.
Furthermore, he stated in statements to the press that the first thing they asked for in the Middle East were 155-millimeter artillery shells, which is why tens of thousands of howitzers destined for Ukraine ended up in Israel.
The Ukrainian president added that the arsenals “are empty” and that is added to the shortage of anti-aircraft batteries to defend Ukrainian cities during the winter, while Russia continues to “accumulate missiles.”
Given the arrival of low temperatures, a scenario that complicates military action, Zelensky said that “winter will be difficult, but no worse than the previous one.”
United States announces a convention so that Ukraine receives more weapons
This same Friday, Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, issued a statement in which she assured that the United States Government will organize a defense convention next December with the aim of increasing the production of weapons for Help Ukraine cope with the Russian invasion.
With the participation of the Governments of the United States and Ukraine, the Defense Industrial Conference will take place on December 6 and 7; Representatives from the private sector will also attend.
“The conference is part of the US government’s efforts to significantly increase weapons production to support Ukraine’s fight for its freedom and security,” Watson said.
With Reuters and EFE
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