UK intelligence: Ukrainian troops push front line in Kherson Oblast by 20 kilometers

Ukrainian forces are "making gains along the east bank of the Inhulets River and west bank of the Dnipro River," threatening Russian groups around Nova Kakhovka, according to the U.K. Defense Ministry.

Withdrawal of Russian combat forces across the Dnipro River "makes defense of the rest of Kherson Oblast more tenable; but the political imperative will be to remain and defend," reads the report.

According to the ministry, Russia has sent most of its understaffed airborne forces to defend Kherson. Since Moscow "currently has few additional, high quality rapidly deployable forces available to stabilize the front," it is likely to deploy newly mobilized personnel to the area.

On Oct. 2, the U.K. Defense Ministry said that further loss of Russia's captured territory in Ukraine would "almost certainly" lead to intensified public criticism in Russia.