Kherson faces risk as Russia aims for foothold on Dnipro's islands

Director of Defense Express media and consulting company, Serhiy Zgurets, explained the danger of Russia establishing a beachhead on the right bank of the Dnipro River. He discussed this on Espreso TV.

"The Russians aim to secure positions on the islands to continue terroristic actions, using mortars, Mavic drones, or other UAVs to strike Kherson. However, they've already been doing this for some time. The enemy seeks to depopulate the city. These actions are predictable. There’s no significant threat to Kherson from Russian troop redeployment, though their terroristic tactics still pose some risks," Zgurets noted.

The enemy has already attempted to cross the Dnipro River in boats. The right bank's higher elevation gives Russia a strategic goal of capturing islands. However, Zgurets believes this strategy is futile.

"Indeed, reports indicate Russia is planning offensive actions using marine infantry and airborne units, with around 4,000 troops amassed there. But these are similar numbers to what we’ve seen before. Currently, we only observe their attempts to secure positions on islands and launch attacks across the Dnipro," he said.

Moreover, with proper preparation, this situation could favor Ukraine's Armed Forces, allowing them to destroy Russia’s most capable units, including marines and paratroopers.

"Some of these paratroopers were relocated to the Kursk region. If the enemy conducts these assault actions, it likely aims to force us to retain troops there that we need for other directions," Zgurets added.

• On Friday morning, December 20, Russian sabotage-reconnaissance groups attempted to advance towards Kherson.