On Tuesday night, Ukrainian forces hit the Antonivskiy bridge more than a dozen times, badly cratering the strategic structure and forcing its closure by occupying Russian authorities.

The damaged bridges, Shelest said before Tuesday’s strikes, are a warning to the Russians. “It really depends on these bridges,” she explained. “Ukrainians managed to not fully destroy the bridges, but to demonstrate that we can do it perfectly…It has a psychological effect.”

Alexander Khara, a former security adviser to the Ukrainian government, told Newsweek the state of Russian morale in the south means a counter-offensive “has an excellent chance of success.”

“The Russians suffer from poor morale, logistical troubles, and the horror of HIMARS,” he said.

Partisan activity is also undermining Russian morale across the south. Top ranking collaborators have been killed and Russian troops have been regularly attacked.

“That is important,” Shelest said of the strength of local resistance. “That’s what makes it very different from what we had in Donbas in 2014.”