Ex-commander offers analysis of Ukrainian cross-river operation in Kherson Oblast
Former Aidar battalion company commander Yevhen Dykyi commented on the successful raid of the Ukrainian military near Kozachi Laheri on the east bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast in an interview with Radio NV on Aug. 10.
Dykyi noted that several dozen soldiers took part in the raid near Kozachi Laheri.
"Usually small groups of up to 10 people raid," he said.
“They blow up something in the rear, do not allow them to feel absolutely calm there, and interrupt their rear logistics. And this has been going on, by the way, since we liberated Kherson. Starting in November, even in winter, this was going on all the time. And as soon as it got warmer in the spring, it became massive. Our sabotage and reconnaissance groups are constantly landing there, walking around their rear. In fact, about 15-20 kilometers from the banks of the Dnipro… is a grey area, so to speak, that is not fully controlled by Russian troops.”
Read also: Ukraine won’t yet confirm Western reports of a Kherson Oblast breakthrough
At the same time, he said, the Ukrainian military cannot gain a foothold and set up positions in this grey zone.
"Actually, there was a big intrigue: Was Kozachi Laheri another attempt to make a permanent foothold and further expand it, or was it a raid?" said Dykyi.
“It turned out that it was a raid, just a powerful enough raid, a successful enough raid. They brought not just spoils, but an entire unit of prisoners back to the right bank. In other words, we are demonstrating who really owns the entire Dnipro floodplain. But so far, this is not a strategic story. It’s still a tactical one.”
Read also: Ukrainian army hits Russian command post in occupied Nova Kakhovka
He clarified that the Ukrainian military had captured "an entire platoon led by a major" and killed even more enemy troops.
Earlier, the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War reported that Ukrainian troops had managed to land near the village of Kozachi Laheri on the occupied east bank of Kherson Oblast, taking advantage of the weakening of Russian defenses in the area.
ISW analysts drew attention to reports from several Russian “milbloggers” on Aug. 8, according to which Ukrainian forces landed a force of seven boats, each carrying about six to seven people, on the east bank of the Dnipro River near the village of Kozachi Laheri. The Ukrainian troops then allegedly broke through the Russian defenses and advanced 800 meters into their rear.
"Ukrainian forces appear to have conducted a limited raid across the Dnipro River and landed on the east (left) bank of Kherson Oblast, although it remains unclear whether Ukrainian troops have established an enduring presence on the east bank," they said.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has not confirmed this information.
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