MOSCOW: Russia claimed on Tuesday that it failed Ukrainian attempts to get to the occupied eastern bank of the southern Kherson region and claimed Kyiv’s military had suffered “colossal losses”.
The Ukrainian army said last week it had pushed Russian troops back three to eight kilometers from the banks of the Dnipro River, which would have been their first meaningful advance in months, according to AFP news agency.
Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said at a roundtable meeting with officials that all attempts by the Ukrainian military to conduct a landing operation in the Kherson area have failed.
He added that thanks to the pre-emptive actions of the Russian military, the Ukrainian forces are suffering colossal losses. Some pro-Kremlin military bloggers published reports contradicting the statements of Shoigu.
Russian-installed Governor’s Statement
And the Russian-installed governor of the Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, admitted last week dozens of Ukrainian forces had established positions around the tiny eastern bank village of Krynky.
If confirmed, the advances would be an important breakthrough for Kyiv, which has staged multiple attempts to cross the Dnipro River.
The waterway has become a de-facto frontline between the two sides since Russia retreated from the western bank in November 2022.
