Ukrainian troops are continuing their arduous advance towards the strategic southern city of Kherson, after their lightning gains in the Kharkiv region in September. Analysts say a Ukrainian victory is likely. But they caution that a counter-offensive will be much harder than that rapid advance in the northeast – especially because so much is at stake for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Kherson is a crucial strategic prize – the only regional capital the Russians control. And so is the Kherson region, the gateway to the Crimean peninsula that Russia seized in 2014. Now the Ukrainian forces are trying to encircle this city on the western bank of the Dnieper River – trapping Russian forces there – while targeting infrastructure their enemies rely on, such as the now unusable Antonovsky Bridge.
