DECRYPTION – Launched at the end of August, the Ukrainian counter-offensive aims to liberate the region of Kherson, on the right bank of the river.
Geography is stubborn. Ukraine, dotted with rivers, crossed from north to south by the immense Dnieper, presents as many natural obstacles to the progress of Russian troops. “These wet cuts, in military jargon, always benefit defensive posture because they impede mobility“explains Édouard Jolly, researcher at IRSEM (Strategic Research Institute of the Military School) and specialist in the theory of armed conflict. In early May, the Russian army had been repulsed with heavy losses trying to cross the Donets River into Donbass. Several bridges had been built, then destroyed, preventing any advance. “In this type of combat, the intervention of engineer units is necessary to create pontoon bridges with significant security risks under enemy fire.», Explains Pascal Le Pautremat, doctor in contemporary history and International Relations.
«The French know one of the famous tributaries of the Dnieper: the Berezina…
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