Ukraine says ‘foothold’ on Dnipro River’s east bank will open up route to Crimea

Sam Cranny-Evans, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, said the Dnipro River advance might “buy some breathing space”. “The Russians appear to be gaining momentum in other areas such as Avdiivka, which is also drawing in Ukrainian troops and creating issues. At this stage, I think it is more of an opportunistic effort designed to shape the battlefield for future operations and restore some offensive prestige,” he said. “To convert it into a war-changing success, they will need to find a way to get a lot more equipment and personnel across the river. The longer it takes to do that, the more attrition they are likely to suffer without achieving anything significant.”