No Evidence of a Major Ukrainian Offensive in the Kherson Direction
Kherson governor Vladimir Saldo says no evidence points to a major Ukrainian offensive, calling current attacks routine and describing the front line as stable.
No signs of preparation by the Ukrainian army for a large-scale offensive in the Kherson direction have been recorded so far, according to Kherson Region Governor Vladimir Saldo.
Saldo said there were no grounds to speak of major offensive operations being readied in that sector. He described the current actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces as routine rather than indicative of an impending breakthrough. According to him, this includes shelling settlements on the left bank of the Dnieper, drone strikes, sabotage raids, and attacks on civilian infrastructure facilities.
The regional head argued that such tactics are aimed primarily at intimidating the civilian population rather than building a genuine offensive capability. He added that the situation along the line of contact remains stable and under the control of Russian forces.
In this context, it is worth recalling that in mid-January, Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Alexander Syrsky stated that Kyiv did not intend to limit itself to defensive operations alone. He indicated that in 2026 the Ukrainian military planned to carry out offensive actions as well, though not on a large scale. These were described as localized strikes designed to maintain operational initiative and force Russian command to redeploy troops away from key directions.