Ukrainian forces ‘cross crucial river’ as they prepare to strike deep into Russian-occupied territory

Ukrainian soldiers have crossed the Dnipro River for the first time since the early days of the invasion and built positions that could be used to launch attacks deeper into Russian-occupied territory, analysts have said.

The crossing of the Dnipro River, which has marked the front line since Russian forces retreated from Kherson city in November, comes days after reports of a partial Russian retreat in the area.

It comes as Ukraine is widely expected to launch a counteroffensive, which analysts have said may be aimed at pushing 160km south of the Dnipro River at least as far as Crimea.

The US-based Institute for the Study of War said that video and photos have generated the first “reliable geolocated imagery of Ukrainian positions” south of the river.

“The extent and intent of these Ukrainian positions remain unclear, as does Ukraine’s ability and willingness to maintain sustained positions in this area,” it said.

Several Russian military bloggers used geolocation techniques to pinpoint Ukrainian military positions around the village of Oleshky, south of the Dnipro River.

Russian military blogger “Thirteenth”, who has more than 100,000 followers, posted a video that he said showed Ukrainian special forces using fast small boats to land on the river bank, where “they have been hanging out for a couple of weeks”.

Another, Rybar, which has links to the Russian security services and has more than 1 million subscribers, posted a lengthy blog on the “foothold” the Ukrainian forces have secured.

Vladimir Saldo, the Russia-installed head of occupied Kherson region, denied that Ukrainian soldiers had set up positions on the southern bank of the Dnipro River.

“Our military is in full control,” he said. “Although there may be isolated cases of enemy soldiers managing to take a selfie on the bank before being hit by artillery and destroyed.”

The battle for Kherson region is considered critical for control of Crimea, which the Kremlin annexed in 2014. It would be a major blow to Russian forces if it is confirmed that Ukrainian soldiers have already broken across the river. They had bragged about how their tactical withdrawal from Kherson city last year allowed them to use the Dnipro River as part of their defence.

Russian forces have been digging trenches for the past six months, and satellite images have shown a web stretching across the Kherson region, but more recent reports have said that Russian soldiers have been abandoning their positions.

On Tuesday, a Ukrainian military spokesman said that it had seen Russian soldiers packing up their kit and sending it home, as they did in November before they retreated from Kherson city.

Russian occupation authorities have been seen collecting, packing up and shipping various belongings to their homeland, according to Nataliya Gumenyuk, a spokeswoman for Ukrainian forces in the south.

But Ukrainian authorities are not expecting an immediate withdrawal, she said, adding that Russian troops have been shoring up their defences and laying mines on the shoreline to ward off Ukrainian attacks.

The comments came as Vladimir Putin visited bases in the Kherson region in an apparent show of strength.