AFU general: “Kinburn Spit will soon be ours if everything goes as expected”

The only remaining Russian-occupied territory after the liberation of Ukraine's Mykolaiv region is the Kinburn Spit. The national nature park is now part of the offensive operations by Ukrainian forces. 

Major General of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Dmytro Marchenko said in an interview with Ukrainian journalist Yanina Sokolova the General Staff had a plan for the liberation of Kinburn.

"I can't say exactly when and reveal details, but if the General Staff plan works out, the spit will be ours soon," said General Marchenko.

He also discussed the situation on the southern front, mentioning that Ukrainian forces are confidently advancing on the left bank of the Kherson region. The entire bank to the right of the Dnipro River was liberated from nine-month-long Russian occupation last year in a major autumn counteroffensive.

"Our troops are advancing on the left bank. Without disclosing military secrets, I can say that we have already moved some forces, and now they are trying to consolidate for further offensive actions. That's the most I can tell you right now," said the general.

At the same time, Marchenko noted that although the situation was very challenging, Ukrainian marines were handling their tasks well.

"The redeployment is happening under shelling, under the control of the Russian side; their drones are constantly flying in the sky. But our guys from the marine infantry are coping with the task. Though it's tough for them, they are doing it," the general stressed.

Earlier reports suggested that it would be challenging for the Russian military command to shift combat-ready reinforcements to respond to the Ukrainian operations on the left bank of the Kherson region. This includes simultaneously holding their defense positions in the Zaporizhzhia region and supporting other offensive efforts in Ukraine's east.

In response, the chief of the Joint Press Center of the South Operational Command, Natalia Humeniuk, stated that the reports by Russian media about troop redeployment in Kherson were also part of ongoing combat operations.

Analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that the Ukrainian Defense Forces had made some progress on the left bank of the Dnipro River in the Kherson region.