Dachi, Ukraine

Dachi (Ukrainian: Дачі) is an unincorporated settlement in southern Ukraine on the left bank of the Dnipro river. It is located 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from the city of Kherson, within the territory of Kherson Raion, Kherson Oblast. It is located near the Antonivka Road Bridge. It is a vacation town, where many of the city's wealthier residents own summer homes (dachas).^[1]

Dachi Дачі
An aerial view of the Antonivka Road Bridge, with Dachi on the far bank
Dachi Show map of Kherson Oblast Dachi Show map of Ukraine
Coordinates: 46°39′49.88″N 32°43′24.62″E
Country	Ukraine
Oblast	Kherson Oblast
Raion	Kherson Raion

History

Russian invasion of Ukraine

Dachas just west of the Antonivka bridge at Dachi

Locals swimming in Dachi in 2011

During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the village was captured by Russian forces as part of the Southern offensive.^{[2][failed verification]}

On April 23, 2023, it was reported by the Institute for the Study of War and the Associated Press that the village had been captured by an incursion during the Dnieper campaign on the night of April 20 and 21.^[2][3][4][5]

The Antonivsky island, on which the village is situated, would be completely submerged following the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam on 6 June 2023.^[6] During the flooding, Russian forces looted the houses of the village, and scavenged the locals' boats for parts and engines.^[1] In late June Russian sources claimed that the village was recaptured by the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the 2023 counteroffensive.^[7]

Despite repeated claims from Russian authorities and propagandists, such as Igor Girkin, that Ukrainian forces had been removed from the Island, Russian forces retreated following the arrival of Ukrainian reinforcements on July 11. After withdrawing from Antonivsky island, Russian milbloggers called the retreat "justified" and "measured" citing the island's swampy nature and constant Ukrainian artillery bombardments as making the village heavily defensible.^[8]