Does Russia have capability to launch offensive on Kherson?
Photo: Russian forces have become more active in the Kherson region (Getty Images)
Russian sabotage groups are conducting reconnaissance operations in the Kherson region. However, there are no sufficient forces for decisive offensive actions by the Russian army in this direction, stated military expert and former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Ihor Romanenko in a commentary to the RBC-Ukraine YouTube channel.
Last night, the Russian army covered Kherson and its outskirts with artillery fire and attempted to break through to the regional center using sabotage groups. As Romanenko said in a conversation with RBC-Ukraine's YouTube channel, they had been preparing for such operations for over a month.
"Since they started capturing islands and using them to operate in the Kherson region. It is clear that they have plans, but they do not have the forces to take decisive offensive actions. This doesn't mean they've abandoned these plans," he said.
According to Romanenko, Russian forces want to keep the Ukrainian army under pressure and assess the strength of Ukrainian defense in Kherson. For this, they use reconnaissance and sabotage groups.
"This is a reconnaissance in force. A well-known tactic, they have been practicing it," added the expert.
Russian forces intensified their activities near Kherson
On the evening of December 19, the regional military administration warned residents of Kherson and its surroundings about the threat of artillery shelling from the left bank of the Dnipro River occupied by the Russian army. By the early morning, Russian army activity intensified.
The enemy carried out massive shelling of Kherson and its outskirts, resulting in casualties among the population. Additionally, as reported by the regional military administration, Russian forces attempted to break through to Kherson using sabotage groups, but they were neutralized by the Defense Forces.
Read more about the consequences of the Russian shelling of Kherson here.
