Russia gathers 300 boats, seeks to secure islands near Kherson
Photo: Ukrainian forces (Getty Images)
Russian forces have been attempting to establish positions in the island zone near Kherson, conducting constant assaults in the area, says Spokesperson of the Southern Defense Forces, Vladyslav Voloshyn, in a comment to Suspilne media.
As Voloshyn explained, during these assaults, the enemy aims to capture a specific foothold to draw as many Ukrainian troops and resources there as possible. However, all such assaults have been unsuccessful.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russian forces are currently preparing assault units specializing in crossing water obstacles. These exercises are taking place at training grounds located in temporarily occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
To practice tactics, Russian forces use boats belonging to the so-called "Dnipro flotilla." Part of this unit was relocated to the Tendra Spit and Kinburn Spit earlier in the fall. During the exercises, the Russians practice ferrying landing groups and crossing water obstacles with small infantry units.
Russia prepared hundreds of boats
Earlier, in an interview with the Financial Times, the Head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, Oleksandr Prokudin, stated that Russia intends to launch a new offensive in this region. He also mentioned that Russian forces have assembled about 300 boats for river crossings.
Commenting on Prokudin's remarks, Voloshyn said that the Ukrainian military command is aware of the presence of 300 craft with the Russians. At the same time, the Defense Forces are ready to respond to any developments.
"Ukraine is consistently conducting quite active reconnaissance. And this includes not only satellite or UAV reconnaissance but also various other types of intelligence," said the Spokesperson for the Southern Defense Forces.
Risk of Russian offensive on Kherson
As previously reported by RBC-Ukraine, the enemy may soon conduct an operation to advance on Kherson. Two of our sources indicate that Russian troops are transferring equipment for constructing pontoon bridges to the left bank of the Dnipro River and actively preparing their units for a future offensive.
Read more details about possible Russian offensive on Kherson in our article on the topic.
