Good news from the Dnieper: Ukrainians relocating heavy equipment
6:33 AM EST, November 12, 2023
New reports detail battles on the eastern bank of the Dnieper in the Kherson region. The Ukrainian army has managed to secure new bridgeheads and begin relocating heavy equipment to units fighting across the river.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces are establishing additional bridgeheads on the eastern bank of the Dnieper in the Kherson region. As reported by Russian military bloggers, the forces from Kyiv have gained control over the northern part of Velykyi Potemkin Island. They have also secured a bridgehead east of Belogrudovo and north of Hola Prystan.
Ukrainian Marines are also expanding the bridgehead around the town of Krynky (Kherson region) on the eastern bank of the Dnieper. Russian sources confirm that Ukrainians are transporting more armored vehicles across the river.
Are hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers operating beyond the Dnieper?
In a report released on Wednesday, analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) discussed a debate among Russian military bloggers. The discussion was sparked by a photo of a Ukrainian amphibious vehicle transporting an infantry fighting vehicle to the left bank of the Dnieper near Krynky (about 18.6 miles from Kherson).
Several bloggers believe that the Ukrainians have moved multiple unspecified armored vehicles across the Dnieper. They also suggest that a group of around 300 Ukrainian soldiers is operating near Krynky, a number equivalent to the size of a battalion. According to these reports, battles are occurring in several towns between 7.4 and 10.6 miles east of Kherson.
ISW recalls that, according to earlier evaluations, the Ukrainian army launched an attack on the left bank of the Dnieper on October 17-18th using company-sized forces. The recent discussion about battalion-sized grouping suggests that the Russian attempt to isolate the river bank has not hindered the Ukrainian forces from relocating more personnel and equipment east of the Dnieper, the analysts note.
The western part of the Kherson region, situated on the right (western) bank of the Dnieper, was reclaimed by Ukrainian forces in November 2022. However, the territories on the left (eastern) side of the river remain under Russian control.
