Russia cannot stop Ukrainian Armed Forces' momentum in Kherson region – British Colonel Grant 

He shared his opinions in an interview with Espreso.

"I know that the troops in the Kherson area are moving forward slowly. They will continue to move forward slowly, as Russia has no capacity now to push them back. So I think it's going to be a case of where the break comes, whether it's in Zaporizhzhia or Kherson areas. And it may not come all winter, but I think that both those areas will continue to move forward slowly until something happens. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the Russians actually just have not got the ability to handle three fronts at the same time," he said.

According to him, the Ukrainian military cannot advance faster in the Zaporizhzhia region, and there is an explanation for this.

"The boys and girls are fighting cleverly now in Zaporizhzhia area, they're moving forward as steadily as they can. They can't move forward any faster than they are because of the mines, not enough artillery and just generally the difficulty of fighting that battle," Grant emphasized.

He believes that Russia was not ready for the fact that the Armed Forces of Ukraine would be able to cross the Dnipro River.

“The marines have crossed the river, that is a completely different activity, and I'm not sure that Russia was prepared for that. This is going to cause them problems with their reserves because now they have to decide whether they're going to put people in the East of Avdiivka or whether they're going to pull some of the best ones out of Avdiivka and put them down facing Kherson.”

Operation on the left bank of the Kherson region

On September 14 and 15, Ukrainian troops crossed the Dnipro River, presumably to consolidate their positions and prepare for an offensive on the left bank of the Kherson region. The Russian forces claim that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been preparing to cross the Dnipro since July.

On September 20, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported on new footholds of the Defense Forces on the left bank of the Dnipro.

The Institute for the Study of War said that units of two Ukrainian marine brigades probably crossed the Dnipro River on October 17-18 and landed on the left bank of the river in Kherson region.

On October 20, ISW stated that the Ukrainian offensive on the left bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson region appears to be larger than previous raids. Geolocation footage shows that the Ukrainian Armed Forces maintain a presence along the Dnipro bank and near the Antonivskyi Bridge. On the same day, Zelenskyy came to Kherson region to hold a meeting and present awards.

On October 21, ISW reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to conduct larger-than-usual ground operations on the left bank of the Kherson region. In particular, Ukrainian soldiers are fighting in the village of Krynky. 

Also, according to the spokesperson of the Southern Defense Forces, Natalia Humeniuk, in order to "make life easier" on the right bank of the Dnipro River, it is necessary to clear a part of the left bank, which remains under fire from the Russian troops.

On November 1, the ISW reported that the Ukrainian military attempted to breach the Russian defenses near Pishchanivka and Poyma on Dnipro's left bank in the Kherson region. The army is also maintaining positions in Krynky and near the Antonivskyi roadway.

On November 8, it was reported that Ukrainian forces have moved a limited number of armored vehicles to the left bank of the Kherson region. Meanwhile, several hundred Ukrainian defenders are operating there.

On November 10, ISW reported Ukrainian defense forces cut the Oleshky-Nova Kakhovka road in Kherson region and created additional logistical problems for the Russian troops in this area.

On November 20, Serhiy Bratchuk announced that Ukrainian marines successfully destroyed several Russian trucks on the Oleshky - Nova Kakhovka highway.

On November 22, Oleksandr Samoilenko, head of the Kherson regional council, disclosed that Russian occupiers were removing valuables and documentation from the left bank of the Kherson region.

On November 24, Mykhailo Samus, military expert, affirmed that the Defense Forces of Ukraine are actively continuing their counteroffensive.