Russian army says ‘eliminated’ some 150 Ukrainian troops trying to cross Dnipro river – Times of India
“Russian military personnel eliminated an enemy detachment of about 150 people who were trying to gain a foothold on the left bank of the Dnipro river,” Moscow’s forces said.
Ukrainian forces had crossed into the Russian-occupied east bank of Kherson region and took positions there, the region’s Russian-installed governor said.
‘Ukrainian troops cleared out’
He said Ukrainian “sabotage groups” had managed to hide out on the outskirts of the Russian-controlled town of Kozachi Lageri, near the Dnipro river, but that they were later “cleared out” by Moscow’s forces.
“On the first day of the provocation … individual sabotage groups were able to hide on the outskirts of the settlement,” Moscow-installed official Vladimir Saldo said.
“As of today, the Kozachi Lageri area has been completely cleared physically — there is no Ukrainian military there,” he added.
Saldo’s comments come after Ukraine‘s deputy defence minister Ganna Malyar this week confirmed that “certain (Ukrainian) units performed certain tasks,” on the left bank of the Dnipro river in Kherson. “We cannot give details,” she added.
Russian military bloggers said last week that Ukrainian detachments were present in the town and were shelling there, but that Moscow’s forces were still in control of the settlement.
Russia‘s admission came as Ukraine pushes ahead with its long-awaited counteroffensive to recapture territory controlled by Russian forces.
Ukraine recaptured the west bank of Kherson region last November, and has been launching sporadic operations on the east bank since.
While it has acknowledged difficult battles, including in the northeastern region of Kharkiv, where Russia says it is advancing, Kyiv says its forces have gained ground in the east.
Counteroffensive failing?
Top US officials, citing intelligence reports, have said that it seems unlikely that Ukrainian forces will be able to reach and retake the Russian-occupied strategic southeastern city of Melitopol during their counteroffensive aimed at winning back territory from Moscow’s army.
The Ukrainian military recently said it had made gains on the southeastern front, pushing forward from a newly-liberated village, Urozhaine, in an attempted drive towards the Sea of Azov. Melitopol, which had a pre-war population of about 150,000, has been under Russian control since March 2022 and has roads and railways used by Russian troops to transport supplies to areas they occupy.
There is a view in Washington that the counteroffensive is going slower than expected. However, officials added that despite the reports and limited progress towards Melitopol, the US believed it was still possible to change the gloomy outlook.
Putin travels south to meet generals waging Ukraine offensive
Meanwhile, the Kremlin on Saturday said President Vladimir Putin met with the commander of Moscow’s Ukraine offensive in the Russian city Rostov-on-Don.
Putin’s meeting with Moscow’s top military brass came after Kyiv claimed some success on the battlefield this week and a day after the US approved the transfer of Dutch and Danish F-16 warplanes to Kyiv.
Moscow gave no details of when the meeting took place, but footage released by state media indicated it was at night.
Shortly after his visit, a Russian missile struck Ukraine’s northern city of Chernihiv killing at least 7 people and wounding over 100.
Nearly half a million troops have died
The number of Ukrainian and Russian troops killed or wounded since the war in Ukraine began in February 2022 is nearing 500,000, said a report by New York Times, citing unnamed US officials.
The officials cautioned that casualty figures remained difficult to estimate because Moscow is believed to routinely undercount its war dead and injured, and Kyiv does not disclose official figures, the newspaper said.
Russia’s military casualties are approaching 300,000, including as many as 120,000 deaths and 170,000 to 180,000 injuries, the newspaper reported. Ukrainian deaths were close to 70,000, with 100,000 to 120,000 wounded, it added.
The NYT quoted the officials as saying the casualty count had picked up after Ukraine launched a counter-attack earlier this year.
(With inputs from agencies)
