Ukrainian Troops’ Loss of Strategic Position on Dnipro River

After enduring months of fierce battles to maintain control over a hard-won position on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River near Kherson, Ukrainian troops faced a significant setback. The Ukrainian military announced on Wednesday night that despite ongoing clashes, the majority of the key positions in the village of Krynky had been decimated by intense and sustained enemy fire. Reports from various Ukrainian news sources confirmed the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the village, leaving behind a landscape of devastation and ruin.

Controversial Military Operation

The operation to establish a bridgehead on the Russian-controlled eastern bank of the Dnipro River was met with controversy from its inception. Initiated last autumn, the operation aimed to create a new front in the south to disrupt Russian logistics and engage their forces in the region. However, military experts cautioned that the risky river crossings and logistical vulnerabilities of the operation made significant advances unlikely.

Ukrainian troops managed to secure only small pockets of territory near the river, with Krynky standing out as the most prominent among them. As the struggle to defend this position unfolded over several months, soldiers involved in the operation voiced frustration, describing the combat as both brutal and purposeless. Crossing the river in boats made them easy targets for enemy drones and mortar fire, while the ravaged landscape on the eastern bank offered no refuge, reduced to a desolate expanse of mud and rubble.

Analysis of the Operation

Emil Kastehelmi, a military analyst at the Finland-based Black Bird Group, expressed skepticism about the strategic value of the operation, stating, “From a military standpoint, it is challenging to discern the rationale behind this endeavor. Whatever the initial objectives may have been, it appears that they have not been achieved.”