Ukrainian troops have made some progress in their counteroffensive against Russia by securing a foothold in an occupied area of the Kherson region.
The two sides are currently engaged in fierce fighting in Ukraine's south and east.
On Monday, Ukrainian presidential office head Andriy Yermak said his country's troops had secured a position along the eastern bank of the Dnipro River.
A senior local official installed by Moscow acknowledged for the first time on Wednesday that Ukrainian soldiers had crossed the river and were operating in the area.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that Ukrainian troops "slip across the Dnipro River at night in small groups."
The US newspaper quoted troops as saying they had established three positions in the village of Krynky and surrounding areas in recent weeks.
They reportedly added that they have cut off a road Russia uses to transport supplies.
Russian troops are said to have laced the area with mines and intensified their offensive, including drone strikes.
They have also stepped up their attacks in the east. Early on Wednesday, they carried out a missile strike on Selydove in the Donetsk region, killing two people.
A spokesperson for the Ukrainian military says Russia has amassed more than 800 missiles in Crimea for attacking Ukraine's energy infrastructure in winter.
In a video message on Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged all Ukrainians to remember that Russia is still capable of doing evil.