Ukraine: Fierce fighting continues in Kherson

Kyiv reported that the Ukrainian army had breached three Russian defense lines.

Russia, on the other hand, said that the Ukrainian army was defeated during a failed attack.

Russia has stopped the supply of gas to Europe through the Nordstream 1 pipeline

news agencies

31/08/2022

Wednesday, August 31, 2022, 2:40 p.m. Updated: 2:47 p.m.

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Ukrainian forces recorded "successes" in three areas of the occupied Kherson region, the deputy head of the Ukrainian regional council said today (Wednesday), two days after Kiev announced the start of a counter-offensive in the south of the country.

Yuriy Sovolevsky said that the Ukrainian soldiers recorded achievements in Kherson, Bryslav and Khakhovka, but nothing beyond that.

Today, fierce fighting between the forces was reported, against the background of Ukraine's attempt to regain control of the area that is in the hands of Russia - but according to military experts, "it is not expected to happen so quickly".

Earlier, Kyiv reported that the army had breached three Russian defense lines.

Russia, on the other hand, said that the Ukrainian army was defeated during a failed attack.

The Ministry of Defense of Moscow announced that heavy losses were recorded among the Ukrainian army.

Kherson is the first city that fell into Russian hands at the beginning of the war on February 24.

Military officials in Ukraine do not reveal details about the counterattack and urge the public to be patient.

However, according to Ukraine's Southern Fiord, three key bridges over the Dnipro River were hit again by bombing to ensure they were impassable.

The Ukrainian army focuses on the bridges over the Dnipro River (Photo: Reuters)

In recent weeks, Ukraine has used the Himars precision missile system it received from the United States to hit Russian bridges, positions and weapons depots.

The goal is to cut off the Russian forces on the west bank of the river and not allow the sending of supplies, equipment and soldiers.

However, officials in Kiev cautioned against developing expectations of a quick victory and said the offensive was a slow attrition of the enemy.

According to experts, the "attrition strategy" of the Ukrainians will continue.

According to the military expert Mikaylo Zhirukhov, "This is not an assault, because the Ukrainian forces do not want fighting in the streets of Kherson - which will lead to heavy casualties. The strategy is to pressure the enemy until he runs away," he told the BBC.

"It's like a cornered rat that needs an escape route. The Ukrainian army needs to provide the Russian forces with such a route, otherwise they will fight to the last soldier. The window of opportunity is until mid-October because after that the roads in the area will be blocked by the snow."

A spokesman for the US State Department told reporters yesterday that Russian officials had been tasked with arranging the annexation of Kherson to Russia.

"The fake referendum will try to justify a land grab that violated the Ukrainian constitution and international law," Vedant Patel said.

Germany has reduced its dependence on Russian gas, but is still not independent (Photo: Reuters)

In the diplomatic arena, Russia today stopped the supply of gas in the Nordstream 1 pipeline to Europe claiming that it needs repairs.

The stoppage of gas flow in the pipeline will last for three days, said Gazprom, Russia's state energy company.

Since the invasion of Ukraine, Russia has stopped the supply of gas to Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands and Poland.

Russia also accused the German government of doing everything in its power to destroy energy relations with Moscow.

Germany has already managed to cut its dependence on Russian gas from 55% in February to 26% now, by reducing consumption and finding other sources of gas imports.

But it won't be completely independent of Russian gas until 2024.

The heating season, which usually starts in mid-September, is when Germany will have to start using its gas reserves.

A cold winter and another stoppage of gas supplies from Russia will further complicate the situation.

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