Russian forces regrouping near Dnipro River as they prepare for more active 'island war,' Ukrainian military officials say
Russian forces have temporarily decreased the number of assault operations in Kherson Oblast over the past day as they regroup in preparation for more active assaults on islands in the Dnipro River, a Ukrainian military spokesperson told the Kyiv Independent on Aug. 4.
Ukraine's southern Kherson Oblast is still partially occupied, with Russian troops entrenched on the Dnipro's left bank. From there, they continue to launch strikes on Ukrainian-controlled territory, including the city of Kherson.
Serhii Bratchuk, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Defense Army's Southern Division, told the Kyiv Independent that Russian attacks on civilians in the region remain high, but there has been "a certain reduction" in assaults as Russian forces regroup.
"If we talk about a certain decrease in the number of assault operations, they are related to the regrouping of the relevant Russian units in order to eventually resume more active assaults on the island zone of the right bank of Kherson Oblast, in particular near Kherson," Bratchuk said.
"And this 'island war' continues."
Bratchuk said that while Russian troops are regrouping for more active combat operations, this does not indicate a major new offensive in Kherson Oblast.
"There is currently no reason to talk about the Russians creating a large group capable of conducting a major military operation," he said.
Earlier on Aug. 4, Vladyslav Voloshyn, spokesperson for Ukraine's Southern Armed Forces, told the news outlet Suspilne that the momentary lull in assaults follows a recent spike in Russian activity across the Dnipro River's island zones.
According to Voloshyn, Russian troops were acting more actively a week ago. They carried out operations throughout the island zone — from the southern islands of Zabych and Nestyha to the area near the Antonivsky railway bridge. Each island saw one or two combat engagements, Voloshyn said.
Voloshyn noted that Russian forces were likely probing Ukrainian defenses, trying to locate firing positions and study the layout of minefields and engineering barriers.
"We cannot say there is high assault intensity, but there is a fairly high density of shelling in the Prydniprovske direction," Voloshyn added.
Both Voloshyn and Bratchuk stressed that Russian troops continue to shell civilian targets in Kherson Oblast intensively. Each day, Ukrainian forces record between 200 and 250 FPV (first-person-view) drone strikes on the right bank of the Dnipro River, along with artillery and guided aerial bomb attacks.
Kherson Oblast, located in southern Ukraine just north of Russian-occupied Crimea, has been a constant target since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Ukrainian forces liberated the right bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast in November, 2022.
On Aug. 2, Russian forces targeted a key bridge in Kherson, prompting local authorities to urge civilians to evacuate. The airstrike occurred around 6 p.m. local time when two guided bombs were dropped on the city, damaging the bridge connecting Kherson to the Korabel neighborhood, regional officials reported.
