It says Russia has suffered heavy losses and claim to have breached Kremlin forces’ forward lines.
However, Ukrainian military experts accept victory “won’t happen quickly” and spoke of a long attritional conflict. Governor Vitaliy Kim, who heads the neighbouring Mykolaiv region, said: “Heavy fighting is continuing, our soldiers are working around the clock.”
Ukraine’s Operational Command “South” said three key bridges across the Dnipro River had been attacked to make sure they were impassable. It has also been using US-supplied Himars precision rocket systems to target makeshift Russian pontoon bridges, command posts and ammunition depots.
The effort is an attempt to cut off Moscow’s forces on the western bank of the river, making it difficult to resupply frontline forces. Officials in Kyiv cautioned against hopes of a quick win, describing it as a slow grinding down of the enemy.
Sir Alex Younger, former head of the MI6 Secret Intelligence Service, said: “The long-term trend is the gradual weakening of the Russian military capability and gradual strengthening of the Ukrainian capability.”