Antonivka Road Bridge Under AFU Fire Control: 'Pocket' Is Closed

A Ukrainian general announced the operational encirclement of the Russian troops.

Ukrainian troops established fire control over the Antonivka Road Bridge in Kherson. Lieutenant General Ihor Romanenko, former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, spoke about this on the air of a telethon.

According to him, the Ukrainian military has not yet surrounded the Russian Armed Forces in Kherson, but they have created a big threat of being taken into a 'pocket'. With their strikes on the outskirts of Kherson, the Armed Forces of Ukraine demonstrate their ability to strike not only on the Antonivka Road Bridge but also on pontoon crossings that the enemy can build. Many Russian soldiers want to return to their motherland, but they are not allowed to enter even if the military contract has ended. Internal conflicts arise because of this.

"They see they can stay surrounded. It's an operational encirclement. This follows from the negotiations of the military with their relatives. There are also written statements in this regard. They are in a depressed psychological state,” said Ihor Romanenko. "You can look at the map and notice that their troops are in such an 'enclave' on the right bank."

British intelligence in a new report claims that Russian troops in Kherson will be cut off if the bridge over the Antonivka Road Bridge is destroyed. Now the Russian Armed Forces are trying to slow down the counteroffensive of the defenders with artillery shelling near the Inhulets River, but the Armed Forces of Ukraine are targeting supply lines.

The lieutenant general added that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have significantly reduced the supply of shells for Russian artillery, both barrel and rocket thanks to strikes on the logistics facilities. So far, the Ukrainians are shelling enemy warehouses and transportation routes at a distance of about 70-80 kilometres. Not the most long-range shells of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems give such an opportunity.

Earlier, the occupiers raised the alarm because of the strikes on the Antonivka Road Bridge. Representatives of the pro-Russian administration are afraid of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with their ability to completely destroy the only crossing across the Dnieper River, which is one of the key supply routes for Russian troops in Kherson.

Recall that as of July 22, in the Kherson region, three Russian battalion tactical groups requested a 'green corridor' from Ukraine. During the counteroffensive, the Russian troops in the Kherson axis were encircled in the Vysokopillia region.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, three battalion tactical groups (BTGs), including a company special forces and a tank, are surrounded in the Vysokopillia region. Even if the groups are understaffed (as previously reported by military experts), the number of military personnel may exceed 1,000. Sources in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and intelligence reported 2,000 soldiers.