Ukraine is preparing to cross the Dnieper River, and Russian forces are advancing in Mariinka

Pro-Russian officials in Kherson province revealed preparations by Ukrainian forces to cross the Dnieper River, while the acting Chargé d'Affaires of Donetsk announced that Russian forces had taken control of an important stronghold of Ukrainian forces in the city of Mariinka.

In detail, the Acting Governor of Kherson Province, Vladimir Saldo, said that the Ukrainian forces are making preparations to cross the Dnieper River in the Kherson region, adding that "its attempts are doomed to failure."

Saldo added in a statement to RIA Novosti: "On the right bank of the Dnieper River, enemy units are maneuvering, changing positions and camouflaging with false locations, troops and military equipment are being transferred, and boats are being assembled. There are indications of preparations for an attempt to cross the Dnieper River while trying to hide this preparation."

The charge d'affaires expressed his confidence that "the enemy, in general, does not have, at the present time, sufficient forces to carry out a successful crossing of the Dnieper River."

He said: "This relates, first of all, to the availability of equipment, weapons, ammunition and means of support. As for the personnel, they have mobilized enough of them. Provocations, even large ones, on the Dnieper or in Liman are possible, but doomed to failure."

Last week, Reuters reported that Ukraine had prepared and equipped 8 assault brigades of the so-called assault guard.

According to the founder of the "Wagner Group" Yevgeny Prigozhin, this force may include between 200 and 400 thousand Ukrainian military.

  Russian forces kill 10 Ukrainian soldiers

Today, Tuesday, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the killing of about 10 Ukrainian soldiers during the past 24 hours, on the Kherson axis, and the destruction of two Gvozdika self-propelled artillery.

The head of the press center of the Russian "Dnepr" grouping forces, Alexey Rolev, told Sputnik: "On the Kherson axis, the Ukrainian nationalists continue their artillery shelling of the civilian infrastructure of the residential communities located on the left bank of the Dnieper River. As part of the counter-fire, artillery units of the Dnepr group inflicted damage. Fireworks were fired at the positions of enemy artillery crews in the Velitskoye and Zhuvetnoye districts, two Gvozdika self-propelled guns were destroyed.

He added, "The enemy's irreplaceable human losses amounted to about ten soldiers."

  Russian forces are advancing on Mariinka

In Donetsk Province, the pro-Russian acting district representative, Denis Pushlin, announced that Russian forces had taken control of a tire repair factory in Mariinka, which Ukrainian forces were using as a stronghold.

He said, in a statement to the Russian agency Sputnik, "The tire repair factory is not a strategic location, but it is the defensive line of the Ukrainian forces that were stationed there seriously and it caused a lot of trouble for our units, but now it is already under our control."

A spokesman for the pro-Russian forces in Donetsk said that towards Mariinsky, "Russian forces are working actively to liberate the town," pointing out that the Ukrainian authorities did not stop sending military support to the region, so control of Mariinka was delayed.

An official with the pro-Russian authorities in Donetsk said that Ukrainian forces are trying to stay in the western part of Pakhmut and hold on to the railway.

  Ukrainian forces are surrounded in Bakhmut

On the Bakhmut front, Pushilin indicated, in a televised interview, that "the Ukrainian forces in the western part behind the railway lines are still besieged there, and the Ukrainian forces still have the opportunity to withdraw to the western part of the city."

He added, "The Russian forces continue to move forward with confidence, and continue to complete the liberation of Bakhmut. Our men continue to move forward and complete the liberation of Bakhmut."

Pushilin stressed that the Russian forces managed to significantly improve their positions in the Mariinsky and Gorlovka directions.

Yesterday, Monday, Pushilin announced that "more than 75% of Bakhmut's lands are under the control of Russian forces, and fierce battles are taking place in the western part of the city."