Achievement in Ukraine War: Army Establishes Presence on the Southern Bank of River Dnipro

According to Andriy Yermak, the chief of staff for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukrainian forces have established a presence on the east bank of the Dnipro river. Russia has acknowledged that some Ukrainian troops have gained positions in a village but claims that they will soon be eliminated. If Ukraine can hold onto this area, it would signify a significant advancement for the country. Last year, Russia withdrew from the right bank of the river, and since then, the Ukrainian army has been attempting to create and maintain a secure position on the eastern shore. Yermak informed a US think tank that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have captured a bridgehead on the left bank, referring to a secured position in military terms. Experts in the US stated that minor progress had been made into the village of Krynky, which is 2km inland from the river and 30km from the city of Kherson, captured by Ukraine a year ago. Russia admitted that "small groups" of Ukrainian forces now occupy positions in the village on the left bank. However, the Russian-installed official in charge of the occupied Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, claimed that the Ukrainian forces had suffered heavy losses and were unable to break through, as they faced fierce resistance. Saldo's admission came two days after Russian state media mistakenly published and promptly retracted news of a retreat from positions on the left bank. Despite several unsuccessful attempts to cross the river using small boats during the spring and summer, the Ukrainian forces are persisting. One of their goals in securing a bridgehead is to transport armored vehicles and air defense systems across the river, bringing them closer to breaking through into Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014. Yermak expressed that Ukraine's armed forces are gradually demilitarizing Crimea and have covered 70% of the distance. He called on Western countries to provide more weapons to Kyiv, as he claimed that Russia is deploying Iranian drones and North Korean artillery against Ukrainian forces. President Zelensky stated that the fighting is escalating near the town of Avdiivka, but noted that Russian forces are suffering casualties and losing equipment in their attempts to capture the devastated city. Ukraine initiated a highly anticipated counteroffensive in June to regain territory in the south and east, but it has not yet succeeded in recapturing significant areas.