Skip to content
Edit post

UK Defense Ministry: Russian shelling of Kherson aims to deter Ukrainian counteroffensive across Dnipro River

by The Kyiv Independent news desk February 1, 2023 9:59 AM 1 min read
This audio is created with AI assistance

Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight.

Become a member Support us just once

The Russian military likely aims to degrade civilian morale and deter potential Ukrainain counterattacks across the Dnipro River with its heavy shelling of Kherson and other settlements on the western bank, but the rationale behind the expenditure of strained ammunition stocks remains unclear, the U.K. Defense Ministry said on Feb. 1.

The ministry's daily update comes as Russia intensified its shelling of Kherson and its surrounding areas over the past few days, killing at least three people in the liberated regional capital on Jan. 29. The ministry added that Russian forces were carrying out “some of the most intense shelling in the conflict” along the Dnipro River in the south of Ukraine.

“Kherson remains the most consistently shelled large Ukrainian city outside of the Donbas,” the British intelligence report said. “Russia’s precise rationale for expending its strained ammunition stocks here is unclear."

Russia has begun indiscriminately shelling the liberated parts of Kherson Oblast since its withdrawal to the river's eastern bank in November, pushing many residents to flee their homes even after surviving eight months of Russian occupation.

Despite the continued Russian shelling, Ukraine is still waging a counteroffensive to liberate the rest of the Kherson Oblast, according to Southern Operational Command spokeswoman Natalia Humeniuk.

Earlier this week, Humeniuk claimed that Ukraine was conducting a “quite powerful” counteroffensive on the east bank in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, and that Russian forces deployed there lacked equipment for a major combat operation.

Ukraine war latest: Russia claims control over Blahodatne, intensifies attacks near Vuhledar
Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight.
Freedom can be costly. Both Ukraine and its journalists are paying a high price for their independence. Support independent journalism in its darkest hour. Support us for as little as $1, and it only takes a minute.
visa masterCard americanExpress

News Feed

12:06 AM

Media: Rosatom's top manager arrested over suspicion of bribery.

The Basmanny court in Moscow arrested on March 28 Gennadiy Sakharov, Russian state nuclear energy company Rosatom's construction project director, due to the accusations of receiving a bribe in "a particularly large amount," Russian media outlet Kommersant reported.
Ukraine Daily
News from Ukraine in your inbox
Ukraine news
Please, enter correct email address
8:30 PM

Shmyhal, Duda meet in Warsaw.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal met with Polish President Andrzej Duda on March 28, as part of his official visit to Warsaw.
7:38 PM

Zelensky, Speaker Johnson hold call.

President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson held a phone call on March 28, Zelensky announced on social media.
4:50 PM

Ukraine, Poland ready to conclude agreement on joint border control.

In the document published following the talks, the parties "confirmed their readiness to conclude an Agreement on providing control at joint border checkpoints and cooperation of control bodies" and, once approved by the European Commission, "to launch logistical data exchange at selected road border crossing points."
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.