Russia bombs a series of Ukrainian bases along the Dnieper River

The Russian Defense Ministry announced a raid on three Ukrainian positions along the Dnieper River, as fighting in Kherson intensified.

The Russian military announced on November 18 that its air force and artillery had attacked Ukrainian units stationed in the Kachkarivka area, on the west bank of the Dnieper River, and two islands in the area. The attack killed 75 Ukrainian servicemen and destroyed four vehicles.

The raid came a day after Kiev announced that the Ukrainian army had pushed Russian forces back from defensive positions on the eastern bank of the Dnieper River in Kherson province, creating a springboard for a deeper offensive in the province.

The Russian military admitted for the first time this week that the enemy had crossed the river at Kherson and advanced to the east bank of the Dnieper.

However, Vladimir Saldo, the Moscow-appointed governor of the Russian-controlled Kherson region, said invading Ukrainian units were being subjected to overwhelming firepower that was like “hellfire”.

After the fighting broke out in February 2022, Russia quickly took control of the entire Kherson Oblast. Thanks to a lightning counteroffensive late last year, Ukraine regained control of the Kherson Oblast on the west bank of the Dnieper River. Meanwhile, the total area of the eastern bank that Russia controls is equivalent to 75% of the entire Oblast.

Location of the town of Kachkarivka, north of the city of Kherson, on the west bank of the Dnieper River and near the Zaporizhzhia region. Graphics: MapBox — Location of the town of Kachkarivka, north of the city of Kherson, on the west bank of the Dnieper River. Graphics: *MapBox*

On the same day, November 18, Ukraine accused Russia of launching a large-scale overnight attack using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) targeting the country's energy infrastructure, causing power outages in more than 400 villages and towns in the southern, southeastern and northern regions. Ukrainian air defenses shot down 29 out of 38 UAVs.

Ukraine’s Energy Ministry said an oil refinery in Odessa was also hit. The administrative building was damaged and one civilian was injured. In the northern province of Chernihiv, near the border with Russia and Belarus, two buildings serving energy infrastructure were hit, leaving six neighborhoods without power.

Several suicide UAVs targeted the capital Kiev but failed to get past the air defense system.

Volodymyr Kudrytskiy, director of the national grid operator Ukrenergo, said Ukraine cannot be complacent even though this autumn is warmer than usual.

He said that all defense forces and electricity industry employees of Ukraine are ready to deal with Russian attacks and protect energy infrastructure when winter comes.