A top Ukrainian official said its troops have established a beachhead on the eastern bank of the Dnieper River near Kherson, an important advance in overcoming one of Russia’s most significant strategic barriers in the war.

Andriy Yermak, head of the president’s office, provided no details but confirmed the development that had been widely discussed in military forums over the past month. “Against all odds, Ukraine’s defence forces have gained a foothold on the left bank,” he told the Hudson Institute, a Washington think tank, in a speech Monday.