The Kherson region in southern Ukraine was occupied in the first days of the Russian invasion. Kiev is now claiming success in its counter-offensive. Because of its position, that region is strategically important.
It started with potholes in the road. Mobile phone videos on July 19 showed traces of rocket-propelled grenades on the Antonovsky Bridge, the largest and most important in the Russian-held city of Kherson in southern Ukraine.
The Ukrainian army used the newly arrived and particularly accurate American HIMARS rocket launchers there. Since then, Kiev has repeatedly shelled the 1.366-meter-long bridge, thus disrupting the supply of Russian troops on the right bank of the Dnieper, Ukraine's largest river. That and other similar strikes served to prepare the counteroffensive that began at the end of August.
Other bridges and Russian weapons depots in the region were also repeatedly shelled. In the first days of September, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that some seats had been retaken. The battle for Kherson could become one of the most important events of the war in the fall.
Water for Crimea
In the first days of the offensive, Russia completely conquered the entire Kherson region. There was almost no military resistance. The regional capital of Kherson, previously home to around 280.000 people, was captured in early March. Amateur footage showed Ukrainian civilians protesting against Russian soldiers there. Most of the inhabitants speak Russian. No other region of Ukraine was occupied so quickly. To this day, it is unclear how this happened and it is one of the painful questions for the Kiev government.
At about 28.500 square kilometers, the Kherson region is almost as big as Belgium. It is characterized by steppes - large, wide areas as far as the eye can see. Strategically, it is probably the most important region of southern Ukraine, because it borders two seas: the Sea of Azov in the east and the Black Sea in the west. More importantly, the only land connection to Crimea passes through Kherson Oblast. It is the gateway to the peninsula that was annexed by Russia in 2014. And that gate remained mostly open during the Russian invasion. No bridges were blown up, which could have stopped the march. Large Russian formations could advance hundreds of kilometers north of Crimea.
Probably Russia's most important objective was the North Crimean Canal. It starts in Nova Kahovka, about 80 kilometers east of Kherson, and ends in Kerch in Crimea. The peninsula has a problem with a shortage of water, and it has been supplied with fresh water from the Dnieper through that canal since Soviet times. After the annexation of the peninsula, Ukraine stopped the flow of water. This has caused problems for Crimea's agriculture, which is in dire need of water. Russian troops blew up the dam built in 2014 and let the water flow again.
At the same time, by capturing Kherson and other towns in the lower reaches of the Dnieper, the Russian army blocked an important waterway to the Black Sea for Ukraine.
Watermelon capital
Kherson is best known for shipbuilding. The city was founded at the end of the 18th century in the then Russian Empire at the mouth of the Dnieper River and was named after the ancient Greek Crimean settlement of Chersonese. Kherson has the oldest seaport on the Ukrainian Black Sea coast. The first warships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet were built there. Since Soviet times, Kherson has specialized in civilian, cargo ships, including tankers. In February 2022, a few days before the Russian invasion, the shipyard announced that contracts had been signed to build four cargo ships for the Netherlands.
When Ukrainians think of Kherson, the first thing that comes to mind is not only ships, but tomatoes, and especially watermelons. Every year from August Ukrainian stores are full of watermelons from Kherson. Not this year either. Pictures of Ukrainian soldiers with watermelons in their hands became a symbol of the reconquest of that area on social networks.
The Kherson region is known for growing fruits and vegetables. With about two million hectares, the total agricultural area is the largest in Ukraine. That is almost twice as much as in the Netherlands. It is no wonder that in 1993, the first Ukrainian producer of ketchup, the company "Chumak", was founded in the town of Kahovka, which is considered one of the success stories in independent Ukraine. Founded by two Swedes, the company proudly boasts the largest cucumber field in Europe on its website. The town of Kahovka was captured by Russian troops on the first day of the war. "Chumak", currently number two on the Ukrainian market, stopped production and moved its headquarters to Kyiv.
Russia will fiercely defend Kherson
Due to its proximity to Crimea, Russia is likely to defend the occupied Kherson region, and above all the North Crimean Canal, especially fiercely. Observers in Ukraine, as well as in the West, expect a long battle and assume that the Ukrainian army will not dare to launch a frontal offensive, because it does not have enough strength for that.
Instead, Kiev's plan is to drive out Russian troops with local attacks. In addition to the conquest of several liberated villages, Ukraine recorded another success in its counter-offensive: the Crimean-style "referendum" on joining Russia was postponed.
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