Russia seeks control of Dnipro's right bank in Kherson region in case of ceasefire - Ukrainian officer

He shared his opinions with Espreso TV.

"If we believe those tales and myths about a freeze in the war and sitting down at the negotiating table, it is crucial for the Russians to be on the right bank of the Dnipro in the Kherson region. This is fundamentally important for them. They tried to make raids, as some military called them, to seize a foothold on the right bank of the Dnipro River. I want to emphasize that the right bank is higher, and the Russians made such attempts. Of course, we gave them a hard time," said the officer of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

In his opinion, if the Russian army enters the right bank and establishes a foothold there, Putin will send as much cannon fodder as needed to ensure that by the time negotiations occur, he will have such a position in line with the scenarios that might be imposed on Ukraine. This includes a demarcation line, troop withdrawal, and so on.

"But this is the opening for capturing Kherson. Today, I do not see the forces and means the Russians would need to capture Kherson. However, the intelligence data is with the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and they must monitor this. As for the Russian attempts to fight for the islands, they will continue doing so. I want to emphasize again that for the Russians, the right bank is fundamental," concluded Ihor Lapin.

• On December 20, Russian reconnaissance and sabotage groups attempted to advance toward Ukraine’s Kherson.
• A spokesman for the Ukrainian Volunteer Army, Serhiy Bratchuk, commented on the attempt by Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups to establish a foothold on the right bank of the Dnipro in Kherson.
• Serhiy Zgurets’, the director of the information and consulting company Defense Express, explained the danger of the Russians creating a foothold on the right bank of the Dnipro.