Russia aims to seize foothold on Dnipro river to claim rights to Kherson region in negotiations

This was reported to The Guardian by the head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, Oleksandr Prokudin.  

According to him, Russian troops attempted to cross the river in four locations to justify their claims to the entire Kherson region—one of the four Ukrainian regions that Moscow has included in its constitution.  

"Every day they try to cross the river. We received information from our intelligence that a Russian deputy commander told the troops they must cross the river at any cost, though not all the soldiers are ready for this," Prokudin told journalists.  

The head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration explained that Russian soldiers were ordered to capture at least one village on the right bank of the Dnipro River before negotiations begin, but they have failed. Meanwhile, the Russian army has suffered heavy losses.  

"The Russians fully understand that this is a suicidal mission," said Prokudin.

"Russian offensives are taking place at four locations: through swampy islands at the mouth of the Dnipro, a dangerous gray zone; near the Antonivskyi and railway bridges east of the city of Kherson; and in the villages of Lvove and Zmiivka, the latter located upstream from the destroyed Nova Kakhovka dam," he clarified. In his view, Russia is trying to "tick the box" to show that "we are present on the right bank," thus making territorial claims over the entire region.

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