Ukraine repelling Russian attempt to gain foothold in Kherson Oblast, military says
Ukrainian troops have thwarted a Russian attempt to gain a foothold on one of its islands on the Dnipro River delta, Vladyslav Voloshyn, the spokesperson for the Ukrainian military's Southern Command, said on national TV on Dec. 27.
"Over the past day, (Russia) continued its attempts to land on Kozatsky Island, but was unsuccessful, suffered losses and was unable to land," Voloshyn said, adding that Russia had suffered "losses in equipment, in particular, in boats, watercraft, and personnel."
Voloshyn added that Russia suffered about 150 military losses as well as equipment, including two tanks, amid fighting in the region.
Voloshyn's comments comes amid an anticipated large-scale Russian advance in Kherson Oblast. In early December, Russian troops carried out assaults in the southern region to gain a foothold on islands in the Dnipro River delta.
Kherson Oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Dec. 26 that the region was "observing an increase in enemy activity" from sabotage groups, attempting to gain a foothold.
On Dec. 26, Voloshyn said that the Russian military has been trying to advance on Kozatsky Island, Velykyi Potemkin Island, and the southern island of Zabych in recent weeks, and are likely seeking to seize a bridgehead on the western bank of the Dnipro River in order to transfer firepower there.
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, pushing Russian troops 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.
Kateryna Hodunova
