Ukrainian ground forces are reportedly engaged in efforts to secure the village Krynky, located 30 kilometers northeast of Kherson and just two kilometers from the Dnipro River, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in their Oct. 21 update, citing BBC Russia.
If successful, the control of this settlement would provide forward units with a strategic foothold to initiate a broader offensive strategy, with the goal of dividing Russian forces and disrupting their supply routes.
The ISW said that there are conflicting reports from Russian military bloggers regarding the extent of Ukrainian control in Krynky. Some claim that Ukrainian forces have advanced nearly two kilometers south of the village, while others suggest that they control the entire area, with one blogger refuting this claim and mentioning a Ukrainian reconnaissance group being pushed out from the southern outskirts of the settlement by Russian forces.
Russian military bloggers have reported engagements near Krynky and Pishchanivka, along with artillery fire on Ukrainian positions near the Antonivsky roadway bridge north of Oleshky and the Antonivsky railway bridge north of Poyma.
The prevailing information suggests that Russian forces primarily employ aviation and artillery units in their attempts to dislodge Ukrainian forces from their positions on the east bank.
The ISW notes that despite increased Russian aviation activity along the Dnipro River, Ukrainian forces have managed to maintain a presence on the east bank since commencing their larger-than-usual ground operations on the night of Oct. 17-18. This suggests that they have been successful in adequately supplying and reinforcing their units conducting these operations.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
(Updated: )
