Ukraine Seems To Indirectly Confirm Dnipro Troop Crossing

Kyiv's military appears to have indirectly confirmed reports that Ukrainian troops have crossed the Dnipro River and established a position onto the partially Russian-occupied left bank of the Kherson Oblast.

Russian Telegram channels had reported that elements of two Ukrainian Marine Brigades had crossed the river and conducted an assault between October 17 and October 18, breaking through initial Russian defenses and pushing toward and seizing the villages of Poyma and Pishchanivka.

The reports come five months into Kyiv's counteroffensive to reclaim the territories seized by Russian forces throughout the full-scale invasion, which began in February 2022.

In an operational update on Thursday morning, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine appeared to confirm the reports by saying that Russian forces conducted airstrikes near the village of Pishchanivka in Kherson Oblast.

"On the Kherson front, the occupiers carried out airstrikes near Novoberyslav, Kozatske, Olhivka, Prydniprovske and Pishchanivka in Kherson Oblast," the General Staff said.

Newsweek has contact the Russian Defense Ministry for comment via email.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) think tank said Wednesday that a prominent Russian milblogger claimed Russian forces attempted to push the advancing Ukrainian forces back from positions on the left bank and toward the Dnipro River.

"The milblogger claimed that a Ukrainian sabotage group is still operating in Pishchanivka as of the afternoon of October 18. The milblogger, however, suggested that Russian forces only maintain positions on the southern outskirts of the settlement," the ISW said.

The think tank noted that the Russian Ministry of Defense also acknowledged the Ukrainian operations, claiming that Russian forces stopped four Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups near Pidstepne (10 miles east of Kherson City) and Poyma.

"Russian sources expressed pronounced concern about ongoing Ukrainian activity on the east bank of Kherson Oblast and framed these activities as part of a potential larger Ukrainian operation," it said.

An intense battle is also underway for the city of Avdiivka in Ukraine's Donetsk region. The ISW said Russian forces likely launched a significant and ongoing offensive effort around Avdiivka on October 10.

According to the think tank, Russian forces continued offensive operations in the Avdiivka direction on Wednesday and made confirmed advances.

Russian soldiers are also complaining about sanitary conditions in their trenches in the area, and saying that Ukrainian shelling is preventing troops from moving from their positions.

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