Ukrainian strike obliterates Russian command post in occupied Kherson [video]

Ukrainian Air Force troops successfully struck and destroyed a command post in occupied Kherson Oblast.

Kherson Oblast is a region located in southern Ukraine, bordering the Black Sea and Crimea. The city was occupied by Russian forces in early 2022 but was liberated by Ukrainian troops in November of the same year. 

Parts of the oblast remain under Russian occupation, particularly areas on the eastern side of the Dnieper River, maintaining proximity to Kherson. This proximity facilitated the use of drones to cross into Ukrainian-controlled areas, allowing for targeted attacks on civilians that cause massive casualties and terror.

Russia continues to claim the oblast as part of its territory following its illegal annexation in September 2022 along with the Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk oblasts.

On 7 April, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Ukrainian forces targeted the 81st self-propelled artillery regiment of the Russian army, significantly diminishing the Russian military’s ability to conduct combat operations in the area.

The air strike completely destroyed the concrete building that housed the command post. While exact casualty figures are still being clarified, the General Staff reports that approximately 20-30 Russian personnel were eliminated in the attack.

“The pilots of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will continue to deliver devastating strikes to the enemy until the occupier withdraws from the sovereign territory of Ukraine,” the statement concluded.

Russian attacks on Khreson Oblast

On 1 April, Russian forces shelled Kherson, resulting in power outages affecting approximately 45,000 residents despite previous reports suggesting a potential energy ceasefire agreement between the US, Russia, and Ukraine.

Russian forces employ a “human safari” tactic in Kherson, which involves the use of drones to target civilians and first responders intentionally. The drones are equipped with explosives and are operated from the Russian-occupied eastern bank of the Dnieper River. The Russians are also daily shelling the liberated territories with artillery.

On 29 March, the Ukrainian resistance movement ATESH reported that Russian forces are relocating air defense and electronic warfare systems from Crimea to Kherson Oblast to bolster defenses.

This move follows significant equipment losses and high casualty rates among Russian troops in the region, which the ATESH movement attributes to local residents sharing precise coordinates of Russian targets with Ukrainian forces.