The deputy commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, Colonel General Mikhail Teplinsky, took over command of Russia’s Dnipro Grouping of Forces, the UK Defense Ministry reported.
Teplinsky replaces Colonel General Oleg Makaevich, who previously held the post. According to the report, the change in leadership comes as fighting has intensified in recent weeks, with Ukrainian forces contesting Russian control of the river’s eastern bank.
“Repelling Ukrainian attacks across the Dnipro and holding territory in occupied Kherson Oblast remains a high priority objective for Russian forces in Ukraine,” the report states. “Teplinsky’s appointment is likely an indication of increased pressure on Russian forces defending the areas.”
According to the British intel, Teplinsky is held in high regard by the Russian General Staff and has experience commanding operations in the area. He has the officer on the ground in charge of Russia’s relatively successful withdrawal from the west of the Dnipro in November 2022.
Natalia Humeniuk, head of the Joint Coordination Press Center of the Southern Defense Forces, said on 31 Oct., that Ukrainian defence forces achieved “good results” on the left bank of Kherson Oblast.
According to Natalia Humeniuk, “the Ukrainian Armed Forces forced the Russian army to pull back its positions on the left bank.” Humeniuk also noted that as a result, the number of artillery attacks on the right bank decreased, but “instead, Russian forces began to attack the right bank more often from the air.”
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