This footage from a Russian source shows a BTR-82A firing in support of Russian troops evacuating from their positions on the left (east) bank of the Dnipro River at the Anonivka (Antonovsky) Bridge. The vehicle advances along the road firing at targets before flipping a turn short of the bridge. The vehicle stops in front of a shell-damaged building and begins loading a group of soldiers. As the BTR finishes loading and begins to return to friendly lines, return fire can be seen impacting near the vehicle. The camera footage changes perspective to show fire coming from the Ukrainian side of the bridge. The source indicates in his post that the Ukrainian Army has established a bridgehead on the left bank of the Dnipro with at least 100 men and that Russian units are retreating.

The Russian Army captured the bridge on February 26, 2022, after a fierce struggle with Ukrainian forces, facilitating Russian occupation of Kherson. A Ukrainian counteroffensive late in the year forced Russian forces back across the river, after which part of the bridge collapsed, allegedly due to Russian sabotage. Throughout the winter and into the spring, both sides remained on their respective sides of the river, with the Ukrainian liberators of Kherson subjected to occasional Russian shelling.

In late May reports surfaced of Ukrainians crossing the Dnipro and testing Russian defenses, but observers doubted the ability of the Ukrainian Army to force their river, given their limited amphibious capability and lack of parity in the skies. The destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam, allegedly by Russian forces, and subsequent flooding downstream, turned the Dnipro into an even greater obstacle and permitted the Russian army to shift forces east and north to face the Ukrainian counter offensive. If the Ukrainians can indeed force their way across the river and then support those forces once across, it could permit them to outflank the substantial Russian defenses in Zaphoriza. Or this could be a feint to pull Russian reserves from Zaphoriza, facilitating a breakthrough on that front. Or this could be something else entirely.

About the Author

Cam

Cam served as an infantry officer in the Marine Corps, deploying to the Horn of Africa and participating in combat operations in Iraq. He currently works in the maritime industry and in the defense sector as an instructor of combined arms planning and operations. An avid sailor, Cam founded and directs a nonprofit that supports veterans and first responders through sailing.