Right after the last Russian troops retreated from the right bank of the Dnipro River as a result of the Ukrainian Kherson Counteroffensive in November 2022, the frontline established on the river generally lost its high priority. After all, Dnipro, even at its narrowest point near the recently liberated Kherson, has a width of around 300m. The last pre-war crossing in this area, the damaged Antonivka bridge, was blown up by Russians upon retreat on November 10th. Another bridge on the Kakhovka Dam was also destroyed by Russians after it sustained damage from Ukrainian HIMARS during a counteroffensive. This prevents both sides from crossing the river in force, as any significant concentration of troops on the river bank or pontoon bridges will be quickly spotted by omnipresent reconnaissance drones and devastated by artillery. Many thought that this area would never become a focal point of the war again. However, as always, deprioritized areas of the frontline tend to become ideal plac