Currently, heavy fighting is taking place on the south side of the Dnipro River in Kherson County, or the Left Bank, as it is called.

This is an area occupied by Russia since March 2022.

Today is exactly one year since Ukraine liberated the city of Kherson. After this, the front line moved very little, but in recent weeks there have been reports that Ukrainian troops are increasingly crossing the Dnipro River, which is the front line between Ukraine and the occupying forces in the region.

Now it seems Ukraine has gained a foothold.

– This summer there was talk of a short offensive, where you attack Russia, before pulling back again. This time they stayed. They bite their teeth and dig in on the other side, says Peter Frølich (H) on Nettavisen’s Ukrainepodden.

Listen to the podcast here, or wherever you listen to podcasts:

Frølich is chairman of the Ukrainian Fritt organization, and visited the Kherson region of Ukraine last week, to deliver, among other things, outboard engines to ships plying the Dnipro river.

– So far we have delivered around 30 powerful outboard motors, says Frølich.

– If it hits, go straight down

Satellite imagery and intelligence show that Russia’s defense lines in the Kherson region are less extensive than, for example, in the Zaporizhzhya region. There, the Ukrainian offensive has struggled, and faced, among other things, “the world’s largest minefield.” A Ukrainian ground attack was highly anticipated in Zaporizhzhya, leading Russia to build massive defenses there. There is little indication that they have built similarly extensive defenses in the Kherson region.

– So crossing the river requires extraordinary effort. This is a logistical nightmare, we know that from the entire history of warfare. Amphibious operations and river crossings are extremely difficult, Frølich said.

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– But Ukraine continues to advance. They go back and forth, mainly using small rubber boats. They also have disadvantages, which we must be aware of. They are especially vulnerable when sitting in small inflatable boats filled with heavy equipment. If it hits, they immediately go downstairs. And this is not an easy situation for Ukrainians either. But they are brave, motivated, and have good morals.

– I think this is an operation that we should be wary of, says Frølich.

Retracts Russian news release

On Monday, Russian state media reported that Russian defense forces had “decided to move military forces” on the occupied side of the river to “more advantageous positions.” Both Ria and Tass withdrew the article within minutes, however Reuters news agency was among those who managed to uncover these cases before they were finally revealed. Tass later published an apology in which they claimed to have publicized the case “accidentally”.

Russia’s Defense Ministry later declared the report “false” and “a provocation.”

Although Russian state media was careful not to mention the situation south of the river, among other things the pro-Russian military blog WarGonzo reported that “Ukrainian troops have managed to gain a foothold on the left bank of the Dnipro River”.

– The Russian armed forces were unable to expel them from there, the bloggers wrote.

Gonzo Wars also wrote that the Ukrainian side was in the process of building a highway in the region, which would be “a very serious problem for Russian troops.”

Many Russian troops are involved in their ongoing offensive against the Ukrainian city of Avdijivka, more than 500 kilometers to the northeast. Moving much of this force westward could not be done overnight.

When asked what the military situation was like in Kherson Oblast, Kremlin press spokesman Dmitry Peskov answered on Monday that it was. “it’s up to the Russian military to answer”.

Volodymyr Zelenskyi’s chief of staff confirmed late Tuesday that they had gained a foothold across the river.

“Against all odds, Ukraine’s defenses have established a foothold on the left (east) bank of the Dnieper River,” Jermak said as he gave a speech on Tuesday to the US think tank Hudson Institute.

– Step by step, they demilitarized Crimea. We have covered 70 percent of the distance, and our counterattack continues to grow, he continued.

The statement was also posted on President Volodymyr Zelenskyi’s website.

– Moving Nasam

There have also been unconfirmed reports that Ukraine has transported heavier equipment, such as the Norwegian-developed Nasams air defense system, to bridges that military forces have erected on the Russian-occupied side of the Dnipro River.

– This shows quite clear intentions that they came to stay, says Ukrainian writer on Nettavisen and leader of the Association of Norwegian-Ukrainian Friends, Jørn Sund-Henriksen on Ukrainepodden.

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This could potentially protect troops from Russian airstrikes, which they are vulnerable to.

– Ukraine doesn’t have many air defenses like that, and that is very valuable for them, so this shows that they are willing to take risks, Sund-Henriksen said.