Dnieper River: New Ukrainian Attempts to Cross it... Will They Succeed?

Russia reported today, Tuesday, that forces from the naval infantry, air force, and artillery thwarted new Ukrainian attempts to gain a foothold on the eastern bank of the Dnieper River and on islands at the river's mouth in southern Ukraine. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated: "The naval infantry of the Black Sea Fleet is repelling all attempts by the Ukrainian armed forces to conduct amphibious landings on the Dnieper islands and the left bank of the Dnieper River." The Russian Ministry of Defense noted that "Ukrainian forces suffered heavy losses and lost equipment in failed attempts to reach the islands in the Dnieper River." The scale and extent of Ukrainian attempts to secure a foothold on the eastern bank of the Dnieper River remain unclear. Crossing the Dnieper would leave Ukrainian units vulnerable between the river and the swamps on one side and the heavily fortified Russian lines on the other. This month, Ukraine claimed that its forces crossed the Dnieper River and established several crossing points on its eastern bank, but Russia stated that its forces bombarded the Ukrainian positions.