Video Showed Ukrainian Troops Making Beach Head: Last week, a video was recorded that showed Ukrainian forces landing on the left bank of the Dnipro River, establishing the first beachhead east of Kherson, which was liberated on November 11, 2022.
On Sunday, the nearly two-and-a-half-minute video clip was shared on social media by Eastern European news outlet Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24).
In the footage, several Ukrainian troops can be seen landing in small rubber boats and facing no resistance.
This was likely a scouting operation in advance of a larger landing.
“I see it as likely a small reconnaissance force taking an opportunity to potentially have a forward operating site on the east bank if they are actually staying there,” former British intelligence officer Philip Ingram told Newsweek on Monday.
“The Dnieper has been crossed many times by Ukrainian reconnaissance and special forces and the island in the delta visited frequently,” Ingram added.
Russia’s Front Line
The Dnipro River has been the front line of the conflict since Kherson was liberated. According to the United States Department of Defense (DoD), the Russian forces had relocated to the eastern side of the river and established a defensive line.
However, analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have been monitoring social media posts, including those from Russian military bloggers, and have determined from geo-located footage that Ukrainian forces have established positions south of the river.
Crossing the Dnipro would be the first crucial step for Kyiv if – and more likely when – it mounts an offensive to take back the Crimean peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.
“Footage indicates Russian forces may not control islands in the Kinka and Chaika rivers less than half a kilometre north of the Ukrainian positions near the Antonivsky Bridge,” ISW announced via its report on Saturday.
“Ukrainian forces have maintained positions in east bank Kherson Oblast for weeks, established stable supply lines to these positions, and regularly conduct sorties in the area – all indicating a lack of Russian control over the area,” the report added
The Antonivsky Bridge was destroyed by Russian troops during their retreat last year.
Russian Denials
On Monday, pro-Russian officials denied that Kyiv’s forces had taken up positions on the river’s east banks, but there have been numerous media reports that suggest a foothold has been established near the town of Oleshky across from the Dnipro River Delta from Kherson.
“Our military is in full control of the territory,” Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-installed head of Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, wrote on the state-controlled Telegram channel on Sunday. He further suggested that any Ukrainian troops had only crossed the river to “take a selfie on the left bank before being covered by our artillery and destroyed or thrown into the water by our fighters. Enemy resources are spreading lies about ‘bridgeheads’ as part of the information war with the aim of disinformation and demoralization of the population.”
Crossing Coming
Any beachhead on the river should be seen as significant, especially as Russian forces essentially bragged about retreating from Kherson to employ the Dnipro River as a strong point of defense. Should it be breached, it would be a critical setback for the Kremlin.
BREAKING:
Ukraine has released a video of its amphibious landing on the left bank of the Dnipro river, establishing the first bridgehead east of Kherson.
It was recorded on April 18th.
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) April 23, 2023
At this point, it isn’t like a matter of if but when that river crossing comes.
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Author Experience and Expertise
A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
