ussian forces are persevering with to strengthen crossing factors over the Dnipro river and have completed constructing a barge alongside the broken Antonovskiy bridge in Kherson in Ukraine’s south, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) says.
In its newest intelligence briefing, the MoD stated utilizing civilian barges most likely supplied Russia “extra materials and logistics advantages” after shedding vital quantities of army bridging tools and engineering personnel in the course of the conflict with Ukraine.
“Though using heavy barge bridges was virtually actually included in Soviet-era planning for operations in Europe, it’s seemingly that is the primary time the Russian army have wanted to utilise this sort of bridge for many years,” the MoD wrote.
“If the barge bridge sustains injury, it’s virtually sure Russia will search to restore or changed broken sections shortly, as their forces and crossing factors over the river come underneath rising strain in Kherson.”
It comes as Volodymyr Zelensky referred to as on the West to warn Russia to not blow up an enormous dam that may flood swathes of southern Ukraine, as his forces put together to push Moscow’s troops from Kherson.
The Ukrainian President stated Russian forces had planted explosives inside the massive Nova Kakhovka dam, which holds again an infinite reservoir that provides southern Ukraine.
“Everybody on the earth should act powerfully and shortly to stop a brand new Russian terrorist assault. Destroying the dam would imply a large-scale catastrophe,” he stated on Thursday by way of video hyperlink to a gathering of European leaders in Brussels.
Sergei Surovikin, the commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, stated earlier within the week that he had info that Kyiv forces had been making ready a large strike on the dam.
Neither facet produced proof to again up their allegations.
Ukrainian forces bombarded Russian positions within the Kherson area yesterday whereas inching nearer to a full assault on one of many first areas Russia captured after the invasion.
