Russia lacks momentum for fast advances toward Ukraine's Kherson, Zaporizhzhia - expèrt

Dmytro Zhmailo, co-founder and executive director of the Ukrainian Center for Security and Cooperation, made this statement on Espreso TV.

"There were even units of the Russian Guard conducting filtration operations, including in the settlement of Oleshky. They are searching for Ukrainian saboteurs and constantly amassing forces. Troop coordination is also taking place in the occupied areas before deployment to the combat zone. In the Kherson direction, the Russians previously gathered approximately 300 boats, likely in preparation for potential crossing operations. However, they lack the strength for a swift attack or rapid advance toward the city of Kherson, as our artillery is actively targeting the area. Many bloggers have even reported that the occupiers destroyed some of these boats themselves, unwilling to face certain death," he said.

The Russians aim to seize islands at the mouth of the Dnipro River to establish observation posts and position FPV drone operators to target civilians. This strategy is also being employed in the Zaporizhzhia direction, according to Zhmailo.

"The Russians will continue trying to improve their tactical positions to maintain pressure on our front lines and prevent us from transferring reserves. The first two cities in their path are Orikhiv and Hulyaipole, which they seek to capture as convenient staging areas. However, they simply lack the strength to break through these cities quickly. They repeatedly attack in these areas but use minimal equipment, as their main forces are concentrated in the Pokrovsk-Kurakhove and Kupyansk-Lyman directions. There, they conduct assaults in small groups and rely on indirect fire from protected positions," the expert summarized.

• On December 20, Russian sabotage groups attempted to advance toward Kherson.
• Later, Serhiy Zgurets, director of the Defense Express information and consulting company, stated that there is no immediate threat to Kherson at present — only isolated enemy attempts to establish positions on the islands and launch assaults across the Dnipro.
• Subsequently, the Center for Countering Disinformation identified the enemy’s key plans for the region.