GENICHESK, July 4. /TASS/. Russian forces daily destroy about 50 Ukrainian soldiers in their attempts to cross the Dnieper River in the Kherson Region on boats, acting Regional Governor Vladimir Saldo told TASS on Tuesday.

The regional head said on July 3 that Russian forces were in control of the area near the Antonovka Bridge in the Kherson Region, were strengthening their positions and thwarting the Ukrainian army’s attempts to cross the Dnieper River by small groups on boats.

"Militants of Ukrainian armed formations continue attempts to disembark by small groups from boats on the left bank of the Dnieper and on islands… On average, our forces destroy up to 50 militants in the Kherson direction daily. However, Ukrainian military commanders do not spare their soldiers and keep sending them for slaughter," Saldo said.

As the acting regional governor pointed out, "over the past week, a tense situation emerged on the left bank [of the Dnieper River] near the Antonovka Bridge."

"Thanks to well-coordinated actions of our troops, the enemy was destroyed in that area and its remnants fled behind the river," Saldo added.

Russian forces battled Ukrainian troops on an island under the Antonovka Bridge last week. Ukrainian militants could not get into the left bank of the Dnieper River and hid from Russian artillery in cottage houses several kilometers away from the settlement of Alyoshki. Russia’s Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on July 2 that Russian troops had fully destroyed Ukrainian militants on Antonovsky Island of the Dnieper River in the special military operation in Ukraine.