The gist: After months of unsuccessful counteroffensives, Ukraine claimed this Sunday, November 19, to have pushed the Russian army back “from 3 to 8 kilometers” deep into the left bank of the Dnieper occupied by the Moscow army.
If this advance is confirmed, it would be “the largest advance by the Ukrainian army against the Russians in several months.” Ukraine claimed this Sunday, November 19, to have pushed back the Russian army “from 3 to 8 km” on the left bank of the Dnieper occupied by the Moscow army. “Preliminary figures vary between 3 and 8 km, depending on the characteristics, geography and topography of the Left Bank,” army spokeswoman Natalia Goumeniouk told Ukrainian television.
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However, Natalia Goumeniouk did not provide any information about whether the Ukrainian armed forces were in full control of this area of the Kherson region (south) or whether the Russian army had retreated in the face of attacks by Kiev troops. “The enemy continues its artillery fire on the right bank,” she explained, estimating the number of Russian soldiers present in the area at “several tens of thousands.” AFP was unable to confirm these claims.
“Fierce fighting” and “strong resistance”
The long-awaited counteroffensive launched in June by Kiev and its Western allies failed, leaving the Ukrainian army only able to recapture a handful of villages in the south and east. But on Friday, Kiev said it had taken up positions on the left bank of the Dnieper and reported “heavy fighting” and “strong resistance” from Russia. Moscow, for its part, has not yet mentioned the Ukrainian bridgeheads.
Previously, Ukraine’s last major success in its counteroffensive was the recapture of the village of Robotyné in August in the southern Zaporizhia region. A deeper position on the left bank of the Dnieper could allow Kiev to mount a larger attack to the south. To do this, however, Ukraine must be able to station its army in this difficult-to-access, sandy and swampy area, which faces a solid Russian defense.