Ukraine faces long and bloody fight in Kherson offensive against Russian forces

Troops on the ground say the Russians are putting up stiff resistance, says Kim Sengupta

Relatives mourn a slain Ukrainian soldier at a funeral in Odesa on Friday (AFP via Getty)

Ukraine’s offensive in the south has been in planning for three months, and widely publicised, so there was no element of surprise when it finally began. The Russians have had time to prepare for it and dig in.

The operation is sizeable: 33 battalions in 12 brigades – around 20,000 troops, with armour and aviation support – moving on up to five fronts. The main aim is to degrade or destroy Russian forces northwest of the River Dnipro, encircle them in Kherson, and carry out further advances, including capturing the Nova Kakhovka dam, which controls the water supply into occupied Crimea.

The stakes in the Kherson mission are very high. This is the first major counterattack, apart from relieving the areas around Kharkiv, to have been undertaken by Ukrainian forces in this war. Success would be not only a strategic victory, but a hugely symbolic one. It would be a massive blow to Russian morale, and would show Western allies that it is worthwhile keeping up the steady flow of weapons to Kyiv.