Ukrainian marines push Russians off islands in Kherson Oblast, expanding "kill zone"

Ukrainian marines have pushed Russian forces off some of the islands between Kherson and the temporarily occupied village of Oleshky.

Source: Dmytro Pulinets, Commander of the 34th Separate Marine Brigade, in an interview with Radio Liberty's Krym.Realii project

Details: Pulinets stated that Russian forces had managed to occupy islands near the Dnipro in Kherson Oblast, but these are now controlled by Ukrainian marines.

This concerns some of the islands between Oleshky and Kherson – Oleksiivskyi, Kruhlyk, Korabeliv and Potemkinskyi.

"It's now very difficult for them to remain in the island sector – that is their main task," the brigade commander said. "This is where the enemy's main effort is concentrated. The fact that units of the 34th Brigade are in the island sector really sticks in their craw – everyone knows that. Their task is to push us into the water, quite literally. And they keep trying to do this, they don't give up."

Ukrainian forces have managed to push Russian forces back from the island sector and even out of the town of Oleshky, the commander adds. The marines have cut off the Russian logistics in the area and expanded the so-called kill zone.

"The logistics have been cut off and the kill zone has been expanded – they had a stronghold at the Konky road bridge, they always used to cluster there and were always present there, but something just stopped working today and yesterday," Pulinets said [the interview was published on 13 June – ed.].

Marines from the 34th Brigade are also currently holding positions on the left bank of the Dnipro, the brigade commander said, but he did not disclose further details. He stated that observation posts are positioned there to prevent the Russians from crossing the Dnipro. All provisions and ammunition are delivered to the marines' positions by air.

Pulinets said rotations of marines to and from the left bank of the Dnipro are mini-special operations. Fighters wait for adverse weather conditions – rain, snow or fog – and all available means are deployed to cover their exit and entry.

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