The news comes as several massive artillery strikes have hit Russian military infrastructure in the area overnight. The attacks are believed to be in preparation for a massive offensive involving hundreds of thousands of troops to retake Kherson Oblast.
Reports from Telegram suggested that Ukraine had launched a three-pronged offensive in the region, but these could not be independently verified by express.co.uk†
The War Monitor Twitter account, which uses open source information to report on conflicts, claimed Ukraine’s offensive in the south had “liberated territory”.
However, it was clear that Ukrainian artillery continued to shell Russian positions in the region. Last night’s strike in Nova Kakhovka was so severe that as of this morning there were unverified reports of ammunition still exploding there. Ukraine claimed to have killed 52 Russian soldiers in the nighttime attack.
Ukraine’s southern military command said in a statement: “Based on the results of our missile and artillery units, the enemy lost 5️2 [soldiers]an Msta-B howitzer, a mortar, and seven armored and other vehicles, as well as an ammunition depot in Nova Kakhovka.”
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said the push has forced Russian forces in Kherson City to prepare for urban warfare.
In an update, ISW reported: “Ukrainian forces continued to attack Russian munitions depots and command posts in Kherson and Zaporizhia Oblast on July 11.
“The adviser to Serhiy Khlan, the head of the military administration of Kherson Oblast, reported that Ukrainian forces attacked a Russian command center and equipment concentration in Tavriisk (about 62 km east of the city of Kherson).”
It added: “Khlan also stated that Russian forces are preparing for urban warfare in case a Ukrainian counter-offensive reaches the city of Kherson and have strengthened security and filtration measures around the city.”
The city, which had a pre-war population of nearly 290,000, would likely be the scene of a fierce urban battle reminiscent of Mariupol if Ukrainian forces manage to move the front lines there.
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Russian Major General Artem Nasbulin was reportedly killed in the nighttime attacks along with other senior officers.
In the east of the country, the Russians continue their slow but brutal attempt to conquer territory.
According to the general staff of Ukraine, they had failed to gain ground.
However, the ISW noted that Russian Telegram channels described heavy fighting along the Eastern Front, likely meaning the area was still under dispute as Ukrainian defenders attempted to push back Russian forces.