British intelligence explains why Russia regularly shells Kherson

The Russian military regularly shells Kherson to demoralize civilians and prevent attempts by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to counterattack the left bank of the Dnipro River

The British Ministry of Defense shared the information on Twitter. 

British intelligence notes that in recent days, Russian troops have launched one of the most intense artillery attacks on Kherson. They fired at the city from the left bank of the Dnipro River. 

On January 29, local authorities reported 3 civilians killed in Kherson, and 2 foreign-owned ships moored on the river were damaged, causing an oil spill.

"Kherson remains the most consistently shelled large Ukrainian city outside of the Donbas. Russia’s precise rationale for expanding its strained ammunition stocks here is unclear. However, commanders are likely partially aiming to degrade civilian morale and to deter any Ukrainian counter-attacks across the Dnipro River," the British intelligence concluded.