Ukrainian advance towards frontline city has failed – official

Ukrainian forces attempting to take the city of Kherson have failed to make further advances, a senior regional official has reported.

The frontline near the city remains “difficult but stable,” Kirill Stremousov, the deputy head of the administration of Kherson Region, stated on Wednesday. In particular, Ukrainian forces “had their ass handed to them” during fighting near the town of Snigiryovka, the official said on social media.

On Tuesday, Stremousov reported intense fighting near the settlement, which is some 50km north of Kherson. Kiev’s troops managed to seize positions to the north of the town alongside a railway, he said.

The Russian official noted that Kiev may soon exhaust its offensive capabilities due to a shortage of manpower. He claimed that the Ukrainian government had to rely on hired foreign fighters in its push toward Kherson and predicted that the funding would dwindle due to an expected power shift in Washington.

He was referring to the midterm elections in the US, in which the Republican Party is predicted to take control of the House. Its leadership expressed skepticism about pouring tens of billions of dollars into Ukraine instead of using the funds to solve domestic problems.

Kherson, which is located on the right bank of the Dnieper River, is the provincial capital of Kherson Region. Russia incorporated it last month after a referendum on the move. Kiev rejected the outcome of what it said was a “sham” ballot.

The regional administration urged civilians to leave Kherson and go to temporary shelters elsewhere in the region and other parts of Russia. The city may suffer serious damage during a likely battle, officials warned.

Russia seized Kherson in the early weeks of the conflict. The Ukrainian government described capturing it as a major military objective.