Russia Under Heavy Pressure – Is Cherson Ahead of Liberation?
Created: 08/17/2022, 11:26 am
By: Tanja Koch
Ukrainian soldiers are putting pressure on Russia in the south of the country.
The city of Cherson is to be recaptured.
(Archive image) © Genya Savilov/afp
Ukraine attacks bridges and with them Russia's wartime logistics.
Russia's hold on Kherson may soon come to an end.
Cherson – Russia appears to be under increasing pressure in southern Ukraine.
To cut off Russia's supply routes to Kherson -- one of Russia's occupied cities -- Ukraine is increasingly using long-range missiles to hit highways, bridges and ammunition dumps.
According to
CNN
, videos are now increasingly appearing on social networks showing how, for example, the Antonivskyi Bridge and a road bridge over the dam at Nowa Kakhovka are being attacked with artillery from a long distance.
Once destroyed, they are impassable for armored vehicles, causing increasing difficulties for Russia's military in the escalating Ukraine conflict.
Ukraine has also set its sights on railway lines from the occupied Crimean peninsula to Cherson and Zaporizhia, as well as ammunition depots.
According to the Ukrainian “South Command”, more than ten depots have been destroyed in the past week.
Ukraine war: Russia in the south under increasing pressure
Military experts believe the Russian military is now facing logistical challenges in southern Ukraine and may even have to partially withdraw.
For example, the deputy chairman of the Kherson regional council, Yuri Sobolevsky, explains via Telegram that large parts of the Russian military command have already left the city.
The Ukrainian troops are only 25 kilometers away.
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“We see the exodus of military personnel from Kherson to Melitopol.
The military personnel are leaving Melitopol with their families,”
CNN
also quoted Ivan Fedorov, the mayor of Melitopol.
Alperovitch, chairman of Silverado Policy Accelerator, a Washington-based think tank, agrees: "I think the Russians will pull out of Kherson soon," he said.
"It's becoming unsustainable - it's really difficult to replenish the force."
In addition, according to the American think tank “Institute for the Study of War”, there have been hardly any ground offensives by Russia in the Ukraine war in the past few days.
Russia could switch to the other bank of the Dnipro so as not to end up “in the city of Cherson trapped”.
Ukraine War: Will the Military Retake Kherson?
Ukraine's attacks on Russia's logistical routes are having an effect.
However, it is questionable whether it will be enough to recapture southern Ukraine.
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According to The
Washington Post
, Ukrainian military officials are reluctant to provide a timetable for a push.
More Western weapons are needed to launch a counteroffensive.
"Let's be honest - at the moment Ukraine doesn't have enough weapon systems for a counteroffensive," replies
a defense and intelligence adviser to the Ukrainian government, who asked not to be named, according to
CNN .
According to Western military analysts, Russia has established a strong, multi-layered defense in the Kherson region, including air cover.
Russia is also conducting regular counterattacks to prevent Ukraine from advancing south and into the Cherson region.
However, if Ukraine continues its attacks on Russian wartime logistics, the troops will sooner or later run out of ammunition and fuel.
(tk)
