25 thousand soldiers in the south of Ukraine to encircle Nikolaev
Russia has sent 25,000 troops to the south of Ukraine, 10,000 of which are on the western bank of the Dnieper. Their goal is the encirclement of Nikolaev.
About it writes The Times cited Ukrainian intelligence and the president’s office as allowing a Russian offensive in the near future. The military were deployed from the Crimea and Donbass in units of 500-800 people.
This is Russia’s response to the impending Ukrainian counter-offensive, which has moved the front line about 2 km from Nikolaev. According to Aleksey Arestovich, an adviser to the head of the presidential administration, Russia may prepare an offensive to encircle Nikolaev.
The capture of Nikolaev is necessary to advance to Odessa. It is also necessary to ensure that bridges across the Dnieper in the Kherson region happen outside the detection zone of HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems. Ukraine in the last month often hit the Antonovsky bridge and took it out of the building. Now Russia wanted to apply for ferry crossings.
Earlier, Foreign Policy magazine, citing sources, reported that Russia could launch an offensive in Odessa early next year. Later it became known about the appearance of the “Odessa brigade”, whose goal would be to enter Nikolaev and Odessa.