Ukrainian forces take positions on the left bank of the Kherson region

Russian "military commanders" have provided enough geo-referenced video footage and text messages to confirm that Ukrainian forces have taken up positions on the eastern shore of the Kherson region.

This is stated in a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Censor.NET reports.

"Geolocation footage published by a Russian blogger on April 22 shows that Ukrainian forces have taken up positions on the banks of the Dnipro River north of Oleshky (7 km southwest of Kherson) and advanced to the northern outskirts of the village on the E97 highway, as well as west of Dacha (10 km south of Kherson).

The footage also indicates that Russian troops may not be in control of the islands on the Kinka and Chaika rivers, located less than half a kilometer north of the Ukrainian military's geolocation positions near the Antonivsky Bridge," the report says.

Also, according to the Institute's analysts, on April 20 and 22, Russian "military commanders" claimed that Ukrainian forces had been holding positions on the eastern shore of the Kherson region for several weeks, had established stable supply lines to these positions, and were regularly conducting sorties, indicating that Russia had no control over the area. A battle map by another Russian blogger claims that Russian forces do not control some islands in the Dnipro delta southwest of Kherson, indicating that Ukrainian forces may be advancing to these islands.

Analysts also noted that some Russian "military commanders" complained that the low intensity of artillery fire due to the excessive centralization of the Russian military command allowed Ukrainian troops to land on the eastern bank.

"Russian troops may be favoring holding the line in urban areas such as Oleshky and Nova Kakhovka, leaving the islands in the Dnipro delta uninhabited. The scale and intent of these Ukrainian positions remain unclear, as does Ukraine's ability and willingness to maintain a strong position in the area," the institute said.

The ISW emphasized that it is the first time that it recognizes the territory on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in the Kherson region as controlled by Ukraine, as it has only now received reliable geolocation images of Ukrainian positions on the eastern bank, as well as Russian reports from various sources of a continued Ukrainian presence in the area.

Author - Serhii Kolomiets, 23/04/2023