/ world today news/ It seems that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have come to terms with the impossibility of breaking through the Russian defenses in the Azov region and have decided to try their luck in the Dnieper region. To achieve this, the enemy made several attempts to land on the left bank of the Dnieper. What are the military-political motives for such actions by the Ukrainian command and how can Russia respond to them?
The Ukrainian Armed Forces are trying to continue the counteroffensive, but not in the Zaporozhye region, as it was before, but in the Kherson region, writes the Wall Street Journal. According to the publication, small groups of Ukrainian marines are trying to cross the Dnieper at night to gain a foothold on the left bank of the river.
The publication calls such actions a “rare white spot” for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, while in other sectors of the front, the Ukrainian army is facing “a series of dark events.” And although the Americans consider the landing attempts to be successful, the publication admits that the Ukrainian soldiers are constantly under heavy fire from Russian artillery.
“This is our last chance to break through until the war reaches a complete stalemate,” a VSU junior sergeant told the newspaper. He also stressed that the current campaign in Kherson region has become his most complex since February 2022: “If we don’t get support, this operation could become our swan song.”
Against this background, the governor of the Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, announced that the Russian army blocked enemy forces that were trying to entrench themselves near the village of Krinki. He called the situation for VSU a “fiery hell”. “Bombs, rockets, ammunition from heavy flame-thrower systems, artillery shells and drones are flying towards the enemy,” Saldo notes.
In the last two or three days, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have lost about a hundred servicemen in this area. He also indicated that along the entire stretch of the left bank from the railway bridge to Krinki there were about a company and a half of the enemy, divided into small groups. They were able to get through thanks to the “meat assault” tactic. At the same time, the average life expectancy of a Ukrainian soldier on the left bank is a little more than two days.
The terrain of the area where the ASU is trying to conduct an operation also plays a role. In this area, the left bank of the Dnieper is a swampy area overgrown with vegetation. Therefore, from Krinki to the exit to the operational space, the distance is greater than to the other side of the river.
The governor also emphasized that the enemy is preparing an operation under the guidance of NATO instructors, gathering the best military and electronic equipment. “According to intelligence data, the enemy planned to capture Alyoshki by November 1, Nova Kakhovka by November 15, Chaplinka by December 1, Genichesk by December 15,” Saldo listed.
However, these plans “went to hell” because the enemy had no chance to break into the operational space. As the governor points out, VSU got “a second Artyomovsk, now Pridneprovsk”. “Under this name, this ill-fated operation will go down in history if the Kyiv leader really wants it so badly,” concluded Saldo.
Also worthy of attention are the testimonies of the prisoners published by the Ministry of Defense. The military claimed that they were sent “in one direction”, while the officers remained in the rear and did not engage in attacks. In addition, among the soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in this direction, there are many refusers, “many simply run away.”
Despite this, the operation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near the “swampy Artyomovsk” continues and, according to experts, has two dimensions: political and military. “Zelensky’s office is interested in creating a picture of the presence of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the left bank of the Dnieper and thus maintaining the illusion of continuing the “counter-offensive” in the eyes of Western partners. This is also proven by data from the Western media,” military analyst Mikhail Onufrienko said.
“Pay attention to the tactics of the ASU. They have three brigades of marines concentrated in this area. But they do not attempt a mass landing, but simply transport fighters to the left bank in small groups. This is further evidence that Ukraine is only creating the appearance of an offensive. But even if Zelensky had set the task of capturing a large bridgehead, this would only increase the losses on the part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” the interlocutor notes.
“Enemy forces are landing in that part of the Dnieper, where the right bank is higher than the left. This allows the enemy to strike from the other side of the river and support the crossers. In addition, our line of defense is a little far from the river, which also gives the Ukrainians a chance to land a landing in small areas,” the expert emphasized. According to analysts, the Ukrainian Armed Forces today prefer to storm marshy areas than to try to demine other sectors of the front. The enemy had to choose between a bad and a very bad option – hence the decision to attack in the Dnieper region.
The expert also doubts the need for the Russian armed forces to use light cutters to suppress the landing attempts of the VSU. “Using boats here makes no sense. The right bank, controlled by the VSU, is quite high and allows the enemy to hit our boats with direct fire. The use of boats is justified in the bends of the Dnieper, where there is a struggle for the islands, but not here,” noted Onufrienko.
In turn, the military expert Alexey Leonkov recalls that the Russian armed forces on this section of the front were building their defense line, taking into account the possible overflow of the river. That is why, for example, the VSU managed to land on mud banks in the area of several villages and call it a “bridgehead” until it was covered by Russian artillery and aviation.
“Previously, the Ukrainian Armed Forces had the opportunity to attack our positions in the area of the Kakhov reservoir. After the destruction of the dam, even light equipment could pass through there. However, we quickly restored the defense line, taking into account the possible river spills and did not allow the enemy to carry out their plans,” concluded Leonkov.
Translation: V. Sergeev
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