Russian forces reported to have withdrawn from Kinburn Spit
Ukrainian partisan group reports that Russian troops have left the 10-kilometre sandbar after drone strikes cut supplies. The area had been held since 2022.
France 24A member of a Crimea-based Ukrainian partisan group reported on June 8 that Russian troops had left Kinburn Spit, a 10-kilometre sandbar at the mouth of the Dnipro River. The report said supplies of ammunition, fuel and food had stopped after Ukrainian drone strikes, prompting the withdrawal of most members of Russia's 337th VDV Regiment.
Russia has not confirmed the reported withdrawal. The sandbar lies between the Dnipro-Bug estuary and the Black Sea, south of Kherson, and controls access to the ports of Mykolaiv and Ochakiv.
Background on the area's role At the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, Russian forces captured the spit and used it to launch attacks on the Ukrainian mainland. Ukrainian officials had asked the United States to include the location in any future peace plan. The area also allowed Russia to observe shipping routes and conduct artillery and drone operations.
Current military situation Experts cited in the report said the strategic value of the spit has declined since Ukraine recaptured Kherson in late 2022 and Russia shifted focus to Donbas and Zaporizhzhia. One analyst noted that the spit has little importance while Russia holds the left bank of the Dnipro.
If confirmed, the withdrawal would remove an obstacle for Ukrainian exporters using Mykolaiv ports and end Russian observation and harassment of shipping from that position. Ukrainian forces would need to clear mines and install air defences before occupying the area.
