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| AP Photo, File |
Ukrainian forces pressing an offensive in the south have zeroed in on Kherson, a provincial capital that has been under Russian control since the early days of the invasion.
The possible fall of the city would deal another humiliation to Moscow after a string of battlefield defeats and other setbacks, further cornering Russian President Vladimir Putin and setting the stage for a potential escalation of the nearly 8-month-old war.
A look at the military and political importance of Kherson:
WHY IS THE CITY SUCH A PRIZE?
Kherson, which had a prewar population of 280,000, is the only regional capital to be captured by Russian forces. The city and surrounding areas fell into Moscow’s hands in the opening days of the conflict as Russian troops quickly pushed their attack north from Crimea — the region illegally annexed by the Kremlin in 2014.
Its loss was a major blow to Ukraine because of its location on the Dnieper River, near the mouth of the Black Sea, and its role as a major industrial center. Ukrainian resistance fighters have challenged Russian troops for control of the city ever since, with acts of sabotage and assassinations of Moscow-appointed officials. --->READ MORE HERE
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| Defense Ministry's Intelligence Directorate |
Ukraine amplified its claim about Russia preparing to blow up a major dam holding an enormous reservoir in the Moscow-held part of Kherson Oblast on Oct. 21.
The Ukrainian intelligence said that Russian forces had planted explosives at the Kakhovka dam back in April and that it’s a long-standing plan. A day earlier, President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow of planning to cause “a historical disaster” by blowing up the dam and flooding over 80 settlements.
The Kakhovka dam is located on the Dnipro River in the largely occupied Kherson Oblast in the south of Ukraine. As Ukrainian forces are steadily advancing toward the regional capital, Kherson, amid the ongoing counteroffensive, Russia’s proxies fled the city. Occupied since early March, Kherson is the only regional capital that Moscow managed to capture since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24.
This week, Russian forces had planted additional explosives at the Kakhovka hydroelectric station, according to the intelligence, as they expect Ukraine’s “speedy liberation” of the occupied territory on the west bank of the Dnipro River.
“(Russians) are preparing a series of terrorist attacks on this territory,” the Defense Ministry's Intelligence Directorate said.
Kyiv’s accusations come as Ukraine reports new achievements in its ongoing counteroffensive in the south. --->READ MORE HEREFollow links below to +++++relevant+++++ and related stories:
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