Ukraine is “gaining momentum” in the counter-offensive in the southern city of Kherson. This was reported by the UK Ministry of Defense in its daily update on Thursday. Already on 22 July, the British Ministry of Defense reported that Russia’s supply chains were at risk. – What the Ukrainians have done is to move something forward. It must be noted that it is in the relatively open areas around the city that they have gained ground. In the city of Kherson itself, it is more difficult, and the Russians are building defensive positions and preparing to be able to hold the city itself. That’s what Geir Hågen Karlsen, lieutenant colonel and head teacher at the Defense Staff School, told news. The Ukrainian military has launched an extensive counter-offensive to retake the strategically important city. – We are doing everything we can to make sure that the occupiers do not have logistical opportunities on our land, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said recently. According to the British Ministry of Defence, Kherson has been isolated from other Russian-occupied cities. A Ukrainian soldier between the cities of Myjolaiv and Kherson in June. Photo: GENYA SAVILOV / AFP – Prolonged and bloody battle Experts believe that a possible recapture of Kherson will be important for the fighting morale of Ukrainian soldiers. Kherson was the first city in Ukraine to fall during the war, and is an important gateway to other occupied cities. Kherson is also the largest city Russia has conquered. Geir Hågen Karlsen believes that there are five things in particular that have led to Ukraine’s progress in the areas around Kherson: They have moved somewhat closer to the city. They have used long-range artillery against Russian ammunition depots. They attack Russian command posts so that the leadership at various levels in the Russian forces is weakened. They have resistance groups and special forces that attack Russian soldiers and Ukrainian traitors. They use long-range artillery to protect bridges. – The way it looks now, they have made it impossible to drive over the bridges with heavy vehicles. This applies to both road bridges and railway bridges. Then they cut a number of smaller bridges along the tributaries which weaken the Russians’ ability to regroup, says Karlsen. Central to the battle for Kherson is the Antonivskiyj bridge, which after Ukrainian counter-attacks has become “useless”, according to military sources quoted by the BBC. The bridge spans the Dnipro River, and has enabled Russian forces to send supplies from Crimea to Kherson. Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014. Destruction on the Antonivskyi Bridge. Photo: UKRINFORM / Reuters Kherson is controlled by Russian-backed authorities, and according to the Russian news agency TASS, a referendum will be held on whether the city should be incorporated into Russia. Russia has already started issuing Russian passports to the population of the city. According to the AFP news agency, Serhiyj Khlan, an adviser to the Ukrainian authorities, says that the city will “be liberated by September”. Hågen Karlsen, on the other hand, believes that a quick conquest is unlikely. – It will be a long and bloody battle if Ukraine tries to take back Kherson, he says. Fierce fighting continues Ukraine is said to have put the Antonivskiyj bridge out of action with the help of the American HIMARS missile system. While the Ukrainians appear to be focusing on recapturing Kherson, the Russians are prioritizing fighting in eastern Ukraine. What will a potential Ukrainian recapture of Kherson mean for the development of the war and Russia’s ambitions in Ukraine? – It doesn’t necessarily mean that much. Kherson is on the west bank of the Dnipro and outside the most priority areas for the Russians to take. Strategically, it doesn’t have much to say, but it is important for Ukraine to release as much as possible, says Hågen Karlsen. But while things may look brighter for Ukrainian forces at Kherson, Oleksiy Danilov of Ukraine’s National Defense and Security Council warned that Russia is concentrating as many forces as possible in the direction of the city. – A very large transfer of forces is underway, he said yesterday, according to NTB. Fierce fighting is also taking place in other parts of Ukraine. Russia has reportedly intensified its attacks in Donbas. A few weeks ago, Russian forces managed to take over the cities of Lysytjansk and Sievjerodonetsk. Ukrainian soldier in Kharkiv. Fierce fighting against Russia continues in several parts of Ukraine. Photo: GENYA SAVILOV / AFP On Thursday, the mayor of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, reported heavy attacks. On the same day, Russia bombed areas near the capital Kyiv and the city of Chernihiv in the north of the country, for the first time in several weeks. Russian forces launched six missiles from the Black Sea towards the capital, hitting a military unit, according to Oleksiy Khromov, a senior officer at Ukraine’s General Staff. 15 people were injured in the attack, including five civilians, according to Ukrainian authorities.
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