According to British secret services, Ukraine's most recent attacks on transport links near Cherson are having an effect: a railway line has been disrupted and the repairs will probably take a few days. Even after that, this will remain a weak point for Russia.
According to British information, the railway line between Russian-occupied Cherson in southern Ukraine and the annexed peninsula of Crimea is probably interrupted after a Ukrainian attack on a Russian ammunition train. The British government said the Russian armed forces would probably need a few days to repair the connection, based on a situation report by the secret service.
On Monday, the Ukrainian side reported that its forces used US-made HIMARS missiles to attack a Russian train carrying military equipment and ammunition coming from Crimea on the night of July 29-30. 80 Russian soldiers were killed and 200 injured in the attack. British intelligence services say the rail line will remain a weak point for the Russian military and its logistical supply route from Crimea to Kherson.
The Antonivka car bridge, which spans the Dnipro River near Cherson, has also been damaged by Ukrainian attacks in recent days. According to the British secret services, Russia has highlighted the ferry service that has been set up for civilians as a substitute. However, this will most likely be used by Russia for the movement of troops and supplies. In addition, given the ongoing fighting and lack of food, the number of civilians trying to flee Kherson and the surrounding areas is likely to increase.
On Tuesday, Ukraine reported progress in its counter-offensive on the Russian-occupied region with the capital of the same name, Kherson. The Ukrainian military has recaptured 53 towns in the region since the Russian invasion began around five months ago, Governor Dmitry Butri said on state television. That's nine more towns than were announced on Monday. Some of the villages that have since been recaptured are "90 percent destroyed," Butri reported on Monday.
For several weeks, Ukrainian forces have been waging a counter-offensive in the Kherson region, which borders the Crimean Peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. The region was largely taken by the invading forces in the first days of the war of aggression that Russia began on February 24.
