JAKARTA - squatting in irrigation canals overgrown with weeds, hidden from enemy drones roaming through trees, Ukrainian soldiers dismissed media reports that reclaiming the Russian-controlled port city of Kherson would be easy.
"They have a good defensive line with deep ditches, and they sit deep underground," Vitalii said, gripping an assault rifle and nodding on the treeline where his enemies were hiding.
"Ukrainian armored forces need to destroy that defensive line," he continued.
He and others in the unit holding positions north of Kherson told Reuters Wednesday they had seen Russian troops strengthen their ranks, assisted by a newly mobilized military service.
"They are strengthening their position, especially on the wing," said Angel, a Ukrainian officer with a beard, outside his unit's command post in a half-destroyed village, most of which fled several months ago.
"They believe the deeper they dig, the safer they will be," he continued. Locations could not be identified under Ukrainian military regulations.
Russian troops were under long-range artillery pressure and rocket fire from Ukrainian troops who began moving in mid-August to retake Kherson, which is located on the western bank of the vast Dnipro River and its district.
The fall of the city would be another defeat for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who last month proclaimed Kherson Province and three other occupied territories as part of Russia, although Ukrainian forces retook large parts of the region.
Kherson's occupation could make thousands of Russian troops trapped on the west bank of Dnipro unable to cross easily to the east. Military experts say it can also carry Russian bases on the Crimean peninsula annexed within heavy artillery range.
Hopes increased last week that Russian troops were preparing to release Kherson, as Moscow-appointed occupational authorities began evacuating tens of thousands of residents by ferry to the east bank of Dnipro. Kherson was the only regional capital to be taken by Russian troops in the "special military operations" Putin launched in February.
Meanwhile, the newly appointed Moscow occupation force commander said the situation in the region was "very difficult" and "difficult decisions cannot be ruled out."
However, the Ukrainian unit commander did not see any signs the Russians would leave.
"In the media they say that Russia is afraid and will step down," said the commander who is familiarly called Nikifor. "That's not true," he continued.
Sporadic artillery fire echoed over a stretch of fields and plant fences separating Nikifor forces and Russian troops in the southern city of Ukraine-controlled Mykolaiv.
Nikifor said there was a recent increase in Russia's shootings after weeks where it was significantly reduced.
"In our area, they are quite active. They shoot every day, and they dig ditches and prepare for defense. We can see it," he said.
The intercepted Russian radio transmission shows the recently mobilized Russian military service was used to perform tasks such as digging ditches and cooking, Angel said.
He said Russia would be forced out of Kherson in the end, even if they amplify their current position, noting that President Putin plans to conquer the entire country within three days when he launches a full-scale invasion in February.
"They have no plans to step down. They never thought that they should step down." said Angel.
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