According to the report of the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) on November 9, 2022, the Ukrainian General Staff well planned the campaign to block the Russian Armed Forces on the right bank of the Kherson Region.
Source: The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW)
“Ukrainian forces engaged in a purposeful and well-executed campaign to target Russian concentration areas, military assets, and logistics nodes throughout Kherson Oblast to make continued Russian positions on the west bank untenable without having to conduct large-scale and costly ground maneuvers to liberate territory,” noted the ISW.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine attacked bridges across the Dnipro River, and also targeted ammunition depots and supply centers on the eastern bank of Dnipro. This made it difficult for the Russian army to move forces to the west bank. These strikes were combined with successful ground attacks at key locations, such as Davydiv Brid.
“This campaign has come to fruition. Surovikin [a Russian Armed Forces army general and Commander of the Aerospace Forces – ed.] directly acknowledged that Russian forces cannot supply their grouping in Kherson City and the surrounding areas due to Ukrainian strikes on critical Russian supply lines to the west bank. Russian sources noted that the withdrawal is a natural consequence of targeted and systematic Ukrainian strikes that cost the Russian grouping on the west bank its major supply arteries, which gradually attritted their overall strength and capabilities,” emphasized the American Institute for the Study of War.
At the same time, analysts of the ISW doubt that the withdrawal of troops from Kherson is a trap for the Armed Forces of Ukraine since earlier, there were signs that Russian forces are constantly retreating from the west bank across the Dnipro River.
“Russian commanders will certainly attempt to slow Ukrainian advances to maintain an orderly withdrawal, and some forces may remain to delay Ukrainian troops in Kherson City itself—but this fighting will be a means to the end of withdrawing as many Russian units as possible in good order,” concluded the ISW.
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