Ukraine last week said it had launched multi-directional attacks in the southern region, but has since released few details and continues to insist on a “mode of silence” for strategic reasons. Russia’s state-run Tass news agency reported that the head of Kherson authorities, Kirill Stremusov, said plans for a referendum on joining Russia had been “stalled” due to the security situation. Stremusov told Tass that attacks on the Antonivskiy Bridge in the city of Kherson by Ukrainian forces had stopped traffic from crossing the Dnieper River, which connects the two sides of the region. Russian forces took control of the Kherson region in early March and have since made clear their intention to incorporate the region as part of Russia. If the referendum goes ahead, it looks set to be similar to the one Russia held in Crimea in 2014, which the UN general assembly declared invalid. Although it is highly unlikely that the international community will recognize Russia’s takeover, Ukraine is determined not to allow Russia to formalize its control over the region. Map of Kherson region Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said a referendum would end the possibility of negotiations with Russia. Ukraine announced multi-pronged attacks on Kherson last week, two months after Zelensky reportedly ordered a counter-offensive in July. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Analysts say the offensive aims to encircle Russian forces and force them to flee to the east side of the river. Jack Watling, a researcher at the Royal United Services Institute in London, wrote that Ukrainian forces could be successful if they managed to drive Russian forces around the city of Kherson, which is mainly on the west bank, towards the Dnieper River. and meanwhile disrupt Russian supply lines. “As they become more focused the [Russians] it will also be more vulnerable to artillery wear,” Watling wrote. “The interdiction of supplies moving across the bridges of Kherson may prevent effective traffic or the reinforcement of the city’s defenders.” Few official details and verifiable information have been released by Kyiv, making it difficult to assess the progress of Ukrainian troops. Journalists have been temporarily banned from traveling to the front lines in the south. On Monday, Natalia Humeniuk, a spokeswoman for Ukraine’s southern administration, continued to call for “silence.” He said Russian forces were preparing to carry out further attacks and information about Ukraine’s next move should remain withheld “until the work is completed”. Humeniuk said the Russian occupiers had repeatedly delayed the referendum and were unable to create the necessary conditions because they were “constantly distracted from events on the front line”. He said Russia was moving more personnel and equipment north from Crimea to make up for its losses, adding: “We are monitoring the situation, but we are not panicking.” Unverified videos released last week showed the Antonivsky Bridge being hit. Other videos purported to show successful strikes by Ukrainian forces on Russian ammunition depots in the Kherson region. In a late-night speech, Zelensky said Ukrainian forces had liberated two settlements in Kherson as well as one in Ukraine’s eastern Donbass region. Zelensky did not name the settlements. One of Zelensky’s advisers, Kirill Tymoshenko, released photos on Sunday of what he said were Ukrainian soldiers raising a flag over a hospital in Vysokopilya, a village in the Kherson region.
