Ukraine's armed forces take up positions on left bank of Kherson region – ISW
Photo: WIKIMAPIA.ORG
In the Kherson region, the Ukrainian army took up positions on the left bank of the Dnipro River, seven kilometers from the town of Oleshky.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) mentions that in its report.
Analysts state that the Russian military bloggers have provided enough geographically bound video footage and text messages. They confirm that Ukrainian forces have taken positions on the eastern bank of the Kherson region.
"Geolocated footage published by a Russian milblogger on April 22 shows that Ukrainian forces have established positions on the Dnipro River bank north of Oleshky (7km southwest of Kherson City) and advanced up to the northern outskirts of the settlement on the E97 highway, as well as west of Dachi (10km south of Kherson City).
This footage also indicates that Russian forces may not control islands in the Kinka and Chaika rivers less than half a kilometer north of the geolocated Ukrainian positions near the Antonivsky Bridge," the Institute's report emphasizes.
ISW noted that on April 20 and 22, Russian military bloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces had been holding positions on the eastern bank of the Kherson region for several weeks.
They have established stable supply lines to these positions and conduct regular sorties there. This indicates the absence of Russian control over this area.
As American experts noted, another Russian blogger's map of hostilities also claims that Russian forces do not control some islands in the Dnipro delta southwest of Kherson. Therefore, this may indicate a possible advance of Ukrainian troops to these islands.
Analysts also noted that some Russian "warriors" complained about the low intensity of artillery fire due to the excessive centralization of Russian military command. This, in their opinion, allowed Ukrainian troops to land on the eastern bank.
"Russian forces may be prioritizing maintaining defenses in urban areas such as Oleshky and Nova Kakhovka, leaving the islands in the Dnipro River delta unmanned. The extent and intent of these Ukrainian positions remain unclear, as does Ukraine's ability and willingness to maintain sustained positions in this area," the institute emphasized.
The ISW noted that for the first time, they recognize the territory on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in the Kherson region as controlled by Ukraine because the ISW has received reliable geolocation images of Ukrainian positions on the east bank. Also, Russian reports from various sources evidence the long-term Ukrainian presence in this area.
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