Ukraine War Map Shows Kyiv's Foothold on Dnieper's Left Bank in Kherson

Ukrainian forces are retaining their positions in the Russian-controlled east bank of the Dnieper River—called the Dnipro in Ukrainian—that has divided the two forces in southern Ukraine for almost a year, new battlefield reports suggest.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) published new maps of the southern front line in its Wednesday evening update, showing small but tactically significant areas of Ukrainian presence on the east—or left—bank of the Dnieper.

A "handful" of Russian milblogger sources, the think tank said, "claimed on October 25 that Ukrainian forces resumed larger-than-usual ground operations on the east (left) bank of Kherson Oblast and maintain positions in several areas on the east bank."

Ukraine has been launching small-scale cross-river raids since freeing the west bank area in fall 2022, a slow advance crowned with the liberation of the city of Kherson in November. Both sides have since been shelling each other across the river, with cross-river operations somewhat disrupted by the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in June 2023 and subsequent flooding in the Kherson area.

Recent weeks have seen Ukrainian forces establish a foothold near Krynky, a village on the left bank of the Dnieper, around 10 miles southwest of Nova Kakhovka. Kyiv's units have also been reported in action to the south, in the area around the village of Pishchanivka, some 10 miles northeast of Kherson on the left bank of the river.

The ISW cited the Rybar Russian milblogger channel as reporting Ukrainian advances into a forested area south of Krynky on October 21, though noted a later Rybar post on October 25 claiming that Ukrainian forces had "almost" been pushed out of the area by a Russian naval infantry counterattack.

Rybar reported that Ukrainian forces "resumed larger-than-usual ground operations from positions in the marshes north of Oleshky," some 4 miles south of Kherson City and 2 miles from the river on October 24, the ISW wrote.

In recent days Kyiv's "assault groups" also tried to push towards the adjacent villages of Pishchanivka and Poyma, 7 miles east of Kherson City and 2 miles from the Dnipro, and Pidstepne, 11 miles east of Kherson City and 2 miles inland of the river, Rybar said.

Newsweek is unable to independently verify these reports and has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry by email to request comment.

Ukrainian officials have confirmed little information about the ongoing cross-river raids. This week, Natalia Humeniuk—the head of Kyiv's southern command press center—blamed "Russian propagandists" for emerging reports of intensifying Ukrainian activity.

"It is important for them to justify Russia's aggression towards the right bank, where people are really suffering a lot, and the Russians justify it by saying that they want to stop the Defense Forces, prevent them from crossing the Dnipro River, and prevent them from using their forces and reserves," Humeniuk said, as quoted by Ukrinform.

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