Ukraine War: Kyiv claims river Oskil crossed

Enlarge image

Two residents in the city of Izyum, Kharkiv region, recently recaptured from the Ukrainian military

Photo: UMIT BEKTAS / REUTERS

According to their own statements, the Ukrainian military was able to cross troop units on the Oskil River and thus made a further advance to the east.

'The Ukrainian forces have overcome the Oskil.

Since yesterday, Ukraine has also controlled the left bank,” the press service of the Ukrainian Armed Forces announced via video on its Telegram channel.

Earlier there were reports that Kyiv had secured control of the eastern part of the city of Kupyansk.

The information cannot be verified independently.

The video shows a tank crossing the river and being greeted on the other bank by Ukrainian soldiers.

Possible strategic success

In their counter-offensive at the beginning of September, the Ukrainian forces in the Kharkov region advanced as far as the Oskil.

Behind, retreating Russian troops established a new front line and repelled several attempts by Ukrainians to cross the river.

The formation of a possible bridgehead on the east side of the Oskil would be a strategically important success for the Ukrainian troops.

This would allow them to continue their attack towards the Luhansk region.

The military did not provide any information about the exact location of the river crossing.

However, the US Institute for the Study of the War (ISW) had previously written that the Ukrainians had conquered the eastern part of the city of Kupyansk.

The strategically important city in the Kharkov region is divided in two by the Oskil.

The Ukrainians had conquered the western part during their counter-offensive, but Russian troops had entrenched themselves in the industrial area on the east bank of the river until the very end.

atb/dpa