Ukraine now in full control of Kherson Oblast’s left bank, forcing Russians to flee from reinforced ‘Surovikin
Ukrainian forces have gained control of the Dnipro left bank’s floodplain in Kherson Oblast, forcing the Russians to build new defensive lines on hills farther from the river, former Aidar Battalion company commander Yevhen Dykyi told Radio NV.
"In fact, the Dnipro floodplain is effectively under Ukrainian control. And now the Russians are trying to prevent any further steps. They have essentially ceded the floodplain to us, but they are trying to dig in and fortify themselves where the terrain begins to rise. Although it's not accurate to call them hills, there is a slight elevation compared to the mostly flat terrain. At the moment, they are trying to dig in, fortify themselves, and establish some sort of defensive line along this elevation," Dykyi said, noting that the Russians have nothing similar to the so-called Surovikin defensive line.
Read also: Russian forces forced to relocate amidst Kherson setbacks – General Staff
"They built the Surovikin line for nine months, and now no one is giving them that much time, not even close. That's why, if we use World War II comparisons from time to time, we can say that our ’Normandy landing’ has already happened, and now, let's say, our Ardennes is ahead of us. That is, to break through from the beaches, so to speak, ‘from Normandy,’ in our case, from the Dnipro River floodplain, to break through into a wide operational space."
There have been reports of successes by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) and advancements on the left bank of the Kherson region since mid-October. There were also reports of a breakthrough across the Dnipro into the occupied region near the villages of the Oleshkivska community.
Read also: Video captures drone attack on Russian military unit in Dzhankoy, temporarily occupied Crimea
Judging by the reaction of Russian "war correspondents," this operation could be more significant than previous similar raids by the AFU, the Institute for the Study of War said.
Analysts reported progress toward the village of Krynka in late October, and on Nov. 10 there were signs of a likely expansion of the foothold and the cutting of a key road from Nova Kakhovka to Oleshky.
Ukrainian forces have successfully deployed three brigades on the left bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast as the broader southern counteroffensive culminated, The Guardian reported on Nov. 16, citing unnamed Western officials.
The marine infantry officially confirmed on Nov. 17 that Ukrainian fighters had secured several beachheads on the occupied left bank of the Dnipro. More than a thousand occupiers and dozens of pieces of equipment were destroyed during the operation.
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