Ukraine Takes Control Over Nestryha Island in Kherson Region, Syrsky Says

Ukraine has established control over Nestryha Island in the Kherson region, said the country’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky on Sunday.

Controlling the island at the mouth of the Dnipro River could provide Ukraine with tactical advantages such as better drone coverage of the area and further impede Russian supply routes, where both Ukrainian and Russia have been relying on waterways to supply their troops in the area.

However, Syrsky also admitted “tense” situations in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions in a Telegram announcement, where Russian troops have been trying to advance in different sectors.

“On the Kherson [front] – [Russian troops] still hope to knock out our troops from Krynky. There is no success in any direction. Moreover, in the Kherson sector, our units managed to advance in the area of Veletenske and establish control over the island of Nestryha,” Syrsky said.

Nestryha Island is approximately 20 kilometers southwest of Kherson City and approximately 60 kilometers from Krynky, a village on the left (south) bank of the Dnipro River where Ukrainian troops have established a foothold in its bridgehead operations since late 2023, though the level of troop presence is not immediately clear.

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The depot stored most of the air-to-surface missiles for Su-27, Su-30, and MiG-31 fighter-bomber aircraft that have been targeting Ukraine’s cities and infrastructure.

Due to its strategic location, securing the area is key to future Ukrainian land operations to liberate occupied Crimea.

Regarding Nestryha Island, capturing it also provides Ukrainian troops with multiple tactical advantages.

As Ukrainian and Russian troops have been relying on boats for resupplies in the area, local geography has provided both sides with a limited number of routes available – capturing the island would give Ukraine better coverage of the area and limit the number of routes available to Moscow’s troops.

It would also provide Ukraine with more supply options.

The island could be a potential launching pad for future Ukrainian operations to liberate the south bank of the river, allowing troops to cross the river by island-hopping instead of launching a pontoon bridge over wider sections of the river. 

Despite the success in the Kherson region, Syrksy also admitted a “worsening” situation across the front, where Moscow has “a significant advantage in forces and means” and “actively attacks along the entire front line,” with “tactical success” in some areas, including the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.