Kherson
Southern Ukrainian oblast partly occupied by Russia; site of Ukraine's 2022 Dnipro crossing counteroffensive and one of four regions Moscow demands Kyiv cede.
Last refreshed: 28 March 2026
Can Ukraine retake the eastern bank of the Dnipro in Kherson?
Latest on Kherson
- Where is Kherson?
- Kherson Oblast is in southern Ukraine, straddling the Dnipro River. The regional capital Kherson city sits on the western bank, roughly 540 km south of Kyiv.
- Is Kherson under Russian occupation?
- Partly. Ukraine liberated Kherson city and the western bank of the Dnipro in November 2022. Russia still occupies the eastern bank and claims the entire oblast under its September 2022 annexation.
- When was Kherson liberated?
- Ukrainian forces liberated Kherson city in November 2022 after a counteroffensive that forced Russia to withdraw across the Dnipro River.
- Does Russia demand Ukraine give up Kherson?
- Yes. Bloomberg reported in February 2026 that Russia is weighing suspension of peace talks unless Ukraine pre-commits to ceding Kherson and three other occupied oblasts.Source: Bloomberg
- How many drones hit Kherson in March 2026?
- Kherson was among 11 regions hit on 24 March 2026 when Russia launched 948 drones in a single day, the largest drone attack of the war.Source: Ukrainian Air Force
- What is the population of Kherson?
- Kherson Oblast had a pre-war population of roughly 1 million. Kherson city itself had about 280,000 residents before the invasion.
Background
The oblast's territorial status is one of the four sticking points blocking peace talks. Bloomberg reported in February 2026 that Russia is weighing a suspension of negotiations unless Ukraine pre-commits to ceding Kherson alongside Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia. The Abu Dhabi Round 2 talks deadlocked on this territorial question.
Kherson Oblast straddles the Dnipro River in southern Ukraine. Russia occupied the regional capital Kherson city in the opening days of the 2022 invasion but was forced to withdraw across the Dnipro in November 2022 in Ukraine's most significant counteroffensive victory. Russia still holds the eastern bank and formally annexed the entire oblast in September 2022, a claim no UN member state recognises.
Kherson remains under sustained Russian drone and missile attack. On 24 March 2026, Russia launched 948 drones in a single day across 11 Ukrainian regions, the largest drone attack of the war, with Kherson among those hit. Ukraine has simultaneously struck Russian air defence systems in occupied Kherson territory as part of a broader campaign targeting over 20 systems in the first half of March.
