It’s probably not a coincidence that just as everyone—including the commander in chief of the Ukrainian army—began admitting that progress on the southern front in Zaporizhzhia had ground to a near halt, that action along the Dnipro River intensified. What had been a handful of special forces holding a small position near the foot of the Antonivskyi Bridge has expanded to at least four distinct landing positions. There are now hundreds, if not thousands, of Ukrainian forces, ordinary troops in addition to special forces, across the Dnipro.

Ukraine has successfully secured a long stretch of riverfront and pressed east at the town of Kyrnky. They are still hampered by a shortage of armored vehicles, mortars, and the level of supplies that can be provided only by constructing a pontoon bridge. However, Russia relied on the kilometer width of the Dnipro to be all the buffer they needed on the west, so this part of Kherson is not overrun with the kind of defensive structures seen throughout Zaporizhzhia. Even with a limited force on the ground, Ukraine is making progress and is surely making Russia sweat.

Meanwhile, Russia is continuing its attack on Avdiivka. After weeks of losing an incredible number of tanks and armored vehicles, Russian commanders have been adopting a strategy of throwing unsupported infantry at the area in their effort to encircle the city. The result has been a lot of videos that won’t be shown on Daily Kos as those infantry are mowed down in scores. However, by throwing enough of those troops forward, Russia has managed to advance their area of control and is placing Avdiivka at serious risk.

East and west, two very different conflicts are now underway.