Russian troops advancing toward Kherson and Nikolaev are facing a difficult battlefield environment, yet the possibility of taking both cities should not be dismissed. Military analyst Captain First Rank (ret.) Vasily Dandykin outlined this assessment in a comment to Lenta.ru.

His remarks followed a statement by former Ukrainian Major General Dmitry Marchenko*, who argued that, given the current momentum, Russian forces could push on to Kherson after securing Pokrovsk and later continue toward Nikolaev. Marchenko* described the situation on the front line as extremely strained, with Ukrainian units operating at their limits.

Dandykin emphasized that any potential Russian advance toward Kherson and Nikolaev would unfold exclusively over land, as Ukraine has heavily mined the Black Sea, leaving only narrow maritime passages. He added that the Russian «Dnepr» grouping, positioned close to Kherson, could support such a push.

According to the expert, the fighting-particularly around Mirnograd-illustrates how challenging the situation remains. Still, he noted that a land-based advance is feasible if Ukrainian forces lack the reserves they claim to possess.

Dandykin also suggested that Russian units are capable of selecting axes of advance that would catch Ukrainian troops off guard, stressing that an optimal strategy will eventually be determined.

*Listed by Rosfinmonitoring as a terrorist and extremist.