UKRAINE: THE SITUATION 533 - AUGUST 8, 2023.

The Ukrainian armed forces have apparently conducted a limited attack across the Dnipro River and landed on the eastern (left) bank of Kherson Oblast, although it is unclear if Ukrainian troops have established a permanent presence on the east bank.

Several Russian military bloggers reported on August 8 that Ukrainian troops landed on the east bank of the Dnipro near the settlement of Kozachi Laheri, bringing up to seven boats each with six to seven people ashore, breaking through Russian defense lines and advancing up to 800 meters deep. A Russian military blogger noted that Russian command recently relocated a "prepared grouping" of Russian airborne units (VDV) from the Kozachi Lopan area to Zaporizhzhia Oblast and replaced them with mobilized fighters from an unspecified unit, weakening Russian defense in that area. The head of the occupation administration in Kherson, Vladimir Saldo, downplays reports of the Ukrainian landing, claiming that the Ukrainian boats were repelled by Russian artillery fire and there are no Ukrainian troops near Kozachi Lopan. However, the majority of prominent Russian military bloggers claim that Ukrainian forces managed to exploit a tactical surprise and land on the east bank before engaging in a firefight with small arms with Russian forces, and Saldo likely intentionally tried to refute claims of Ukrainian presence in the area to avoid panic in the already sensitive Russian information space.

The complete Russian Offensive Update 532 is available directly from UNDERSTANDING WAR.

UNDERSTANDING WAR