It is not time for operational break for Ukraine. Just two days after the Russians recaptured the abandoned city of Kherson, Kiev forces reportedly launched an amphibious assault on the Kinburn Peninsula, located in Mykola Oblast and Kherson.
- Follow information about the Ukrainian war with the Figaro app
“The Kinburn Peninsula, which remains the only unliberated part of Mykolaiv Oblast, is now one of the targets of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The fighting continuesNatalya Humenyuk, the spokesperson of the Southern Command of the Ukrainian Army, announced on November 12. Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff Andrey Yermak communicated about this operation in a funnier way… on Twitter with emojis.
Britain’s Ministry of Defense has published its daily map of the conflict, including the peninsula in Ukrainian-controlled territory.
These announcements lend some credence to the action figures posted on social media in recent days. But so far no official announcement guarantees the success of this attack.
Strategic location
The peninsula occupies a highly strategic position, separating the Black Sea from the Dnieper estuary. Above all, it is located in front of Ochakov, just a few kilometers from an important Ukrainian naval base. The Russian army took control of it in mid-June, three months after capturing the Kherson region. From this current of sand and salt marshes, he bombarded the port of Ochakov, destroying in particular an anti-submarine warfare corvette. Vinnytsia. More generally, Kinburn has been used since June as an advanced artillery base and launch pad for the now notorious Iranian drones.
fig-i-0aba0b50a8a6a4737b1c1ee08894e41e fig-lazy fig-placeholder–with-dimensions” data-module=”fig-photo” data-context=”was @visible” data-modal-image=’
Since Sunday, there have been rumors about the landing of Ukrainian special forces on the peninsula and the withdrawal of the Russians. Several pro-Russian Telegram accounts even announced the liberation of the north of the peninsula, without this information being officially confirmed. The press service of the Kherson region governor also officially denied the Ukrainian landing. “The Kinburn Peninsula is under the control of the Russian army. There were no enemy landing attempts on the peninsulaThe organ assured in a conversation with the Russian TASS agency.
But if this operation is actually successful, it will be in part thanks to the American naval equipment provided to Kiev and, in particular, dozens of combat vehicles. “To the remaining Ukrainian capabilities, we must add the 18 American ships announced in June, and then the 40 recently promised.“, emphasizes Joseph Henrotineditor-in-chief of the magazine Defense and international security and Research Fellow at the Center for International Risk Analysis and Forecasting.
Persecution or reconquest?
The annexation of the Kinburn Peninsula will in any case present multiple benefits to the Ukrainian forces. A successful landing would first allow them to permanently neutralize the Russian firebase there and thus facilitate the transit of ships in this area while protecting their ports. However, this position already seemed violated after Ukraine recaptured the right bank of the Dnieper, as it itself was within range of Ukrainian guns.
Is this a prelude to the reconquest of the Kherson region or a simple act of aggression to destabilize the Russian apparatus south of the Dnieper? This attack would have really stretched the Russian army and stationed troops on the peninsula to gain more room to maneuver on the river.
But this landing could also become a real bridge on the left bank of the river. In this case, the Ukrainian army undoubtedly confirms its desire to outflank the Russian army on its western flank and bypass its defense lines to recapture the Kherson region. This maneuver will allow the Ukrainian army not to have to cross the Dnieper, where all the boats were destroyed by the Russians during their flight.
Source: Le Figaro
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.