MOSCOW. Sept 1 (Interfax) - The Russian Defense Ministry has reported successfully disrupting attempts by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to land on islands in the Dnieper river near Kherson.
"In the Kherson sector, the main efforts have been focused on striking the enemy's personnel, conducting counterbattery operations, hunting for and destroying sabotage and reconnaissance groups, and preventing the enemy from landing on islands," Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said at a press briefing on Friday.
Testimony from captured Ukrainian troops shows that most Ukrainian military personnel "refuse to conduct operations for crossing the Dnieper due to the fear of inevitably being killed by Russian fire," he said.
"In this sector, the enemy has lost up to 230 troops, 31 automobiles, and 19 field artillery systems in the past week," Konashenkov said.