Ukrainian troops launched a major counteroffensive to recapture the city of Kherson and its region (south), occupied by Russian troops since the beginning of the invasion at the end of February.
(Read here: European Union will open debate on closing the doors to Russian tourists)
This battle will be long and difficult for Ukraine, since the Russians have had several months to strengthen their positions. Nonetheless, a victory would be seen as a crucial turning point in the war.
Counteroffensive
The Ukrainian presidency reported on Tuesday “heavy fighting” in “almost all” of the Kherson region, where its troops launched major counteroffensives in “several directions” the day before to dislodge Russian forces.
The Ukrainian authorities claim to have the “advantage” in this area after the destruction in specific attacks of all the bridges that cross the Dnieper River, which complicates the supply and logistics of the Russian army.
Instead, Russia claimed on Monday that it had “failed” all Ukrainian attacks in the Kherson region and neighboring Mikolaiv, announcing heavy losses for the Ukrainian army.
It has been impossible to verify those claims with an independent source.
a key region
With some two million hectares of arable land, the Kherson region is essential for Ukrainian agriculture, especially now that the country has resumed its grain exports, following a deal sponsored by the UN and Turkey.
It also has strategic importance since it borders Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula annexed in 2014 by Russia and which it uses as a rear base for its invasion.
The city of Kherson, located on the right bank of the Dnieper and with a population of 280,000 before the war, fell to the Russians in the first days of the conflict.
The region may also eventually serve as a foothold for Russian operations targeting the major port of Odessa further west, though this prospect seems remote at the moment.
(Also: Asylum applications in Europe: why the figure grew by 89%?)
Russia reinforced its units
Russia deployed the bulk of its forces in eastern Ukraine as it prioritized taking the Donbas Basin, but has still been able to fortify its positions for almost six months in Kherson.
Neither side revealed the number of troops deployed in the region, but according to Britain’s Defense Ministry, Russia made “great efforts” to reinforce its units there.
According to the ministry, most units in Kherson are understaffed and dependent on fragile supply lines.
According to the same source, the redeployment of Russian troops from the east to the south required a “major reorganization” of some levels of the Russian military command.
This new device has not been tested and its ability to deal with the Ukrainian counteroffensive “will likely be a key factor in the durability of Russian defenses in the south,” the ministry concluded.
Ukrainian resistance
Alongside the Ukrainian soldiers at the forefront of the counteroffensive in Kherson, there are other forces working to capture the region: the informants of “Rukh Oporu” (“Resistance Movement” in Ukrainian).
Supporting the Ukrainian army from the shadows, its “thousands” of members — according to their coordinator with whom AFP was able to meet — observe and report on Russian troop movements, supply routes and weapons delivery points. , equipped with drones and other equipment.
(Also read: Ukraine begins a counteroffensive to recapture the city of Kherson)
Armed with this information, Ukraine has taken the fight deep into Russian-controlled areas, hitting its military infrastructure and carrying out targeted attacks, according to Ukrainian military sources interviewed by AFP.
AFP
More news
#Ukraine #kyiv #Soldiers #Seek #Recapture #Kherson #Key #Region