Ukraine intercepts Russian sabotage groups attempting to push toward Kherson

Ukrainian soldiers repelled Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups as they were attempting to advance towards the city of Kherson overnight on Dec. 20, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.

The reports come amid an anticipated large-scale Russian advance in Kherson Oblast. In early December, Russian troops were carrying out assaults in the southern region to gain a foothold on islands in the Dnipro River delta.

Prokudin said earlier that Moscow has assembled "300 boats to cross the river."

Russian forces launched a massive aerial attack on Kherson and its outskirts from the occupied part of Kherson Oblast overnight on Dec. 20, targeting residential areas and critical infrastructure. One person was killed, and at least nine others were injured, according to the local authorities.

Kherson and other regional settlements west of the Dnipro River have been subjected to near-daily Russian strikes since Ukraine liberated the area in November 2022 and Russian troops were pushed to the east of the river.

Russian troops have intensified ground attacks in several areas along the front line over the past few days but failed to break through Ukraine's defense lines, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Dec. 19.

Moscow's forces keep on advancing in Donetsk Oblast in an attempt to occupy the key towns of Pokrovsk and Kurakhove. Ukraine has also been building heavy fortifications near the southern city of Zaporizhzhia in preparations for a potential Russian offensive in the region.

On a forgotten part of Ukraine’s front line, Russian forces mass for assault on Dnipro islands

With attention focused on Moscow’s grinding advances in Donbas, and Ukraine’s efforts to hold onto Russian territory in Kursk Oblast, one area of the front lines continues to see daily battles but little coverage. Ukrainian and Russian forces are locked in an ongoing fight over a series of small is…

The Kyiv IndependentKhrystyna Zhevlakova