Ukraine says it has a foothold on the eastern bank of the Dnieper River near Kherson city

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A top Ukrainian official said its troops have established a beachhead on the eastern bank of the Dnieper River near Kherson, an important advance in overcoming one of Russia's most significant strategic barriers in the war.

Andriy Yermak, head of the president's office, provided no details but confirmed the development that had been widely discussed in military forums over the past month. "Against all odds, Ukraine's defense forces have gained a foothold on the left bank," he told the Hudson Institute, a Washington think tank, in a speech Monday.

Ever since Russian forces left the city of Kherson and the territory around it in November 2022, the only area they controlled on the west bank of the Dnieper, the river became a natural dividing line along the southern battlefront, preventing Ukrainian troops from advancing further towards Russian-annexed Crimea.