Kiev reports heavy clashes on bank of Dnipro River near Kherson

Kyiv [Ukraine], November 19: There was heavy fighting on the left bank of the Dnipro River near Kherson in southern Ukraine on Friday after advances made by Ukrainian troops on the previously Russian-controlled river bank.
Troops crossing the river must "carry out diversionary manoeuvres, raids and
reconnaissance operations," the Ukrainian General Staff said.
Ukrainian forces are trying to push the Russian troops back as far as possible from the banks of the Dnipro, in order to stop constant Russian attacks on the civilian population across the river.
"The further away the Russian artillery is from Kherson, the better," the Ukrainian military said in a Telegram post.
Earlier, the Ukrainian naval infantry reported that they had set up several bridgeheads on the left bank of
the Dnipro, which was previously controlled by Russians forces.
Russian military observers have been reporting Ukrainian advances on the lower reaches of the Dnipro for weeks.
Ukraine has been fending off a Russian invasion for almost 21 months with support from the West. The Dnipro has since become part of the front line.
Moscow's full-scale war on its neighbour began in February 2022 and currently, more than 3,500 Ukrainian soldiers are being held as prisoners of war by Russia, according to the Ukrainian Ministry for Reintegration.
In total, more than 4,300 Ukrainians have been confirmed as prisoners of war in Russia, including over 760 civilians.
Their relatives are receiving financial support from the Ukrainian state.
For its part, Moscow has said more than 500 Russian soldiers are being held as prisoners of war in Ukraine.
It emerged in early November that Kiev was preparing a second prison for Russian prisoners of war in the western part of the country.
The two facilities together offer space for around 900 prisoners, according to estimates. Ukrainian human rights commissioner DmytroLubinez says almost 2,600 prisoners of war and civilians have been handed over to Kiev by Moscow within this period. It is not known how many prisoners of war Moscow has received in exchange.
Russia is keeping its "window" to Europe open despite the "difficult times," Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
Putin said in an address to a cultural forum that Russia would not shut Europe out, according to TASS state news agency.
"When there is a draft, one thinks: maybe, it would be reasonable to close the window a little just not to get cold," he said.
"But we have good weather," he said. "We are not closing anything, we have no conflict with European society." Rather, he said, Russia is experiencing "difficult times" with the European elite.
The European Union and several Western nations have imposed tougher sanctions on Russia and individual lawmakers in a bid to halt the war.
But despite the sanctions, the Kremlin continues to present positive economic data, although this is hard to verify.
On Friday, Putin said Russia's economic growth would exceed 3 percent by the end of the year.
Source: Qatar Tribune