Nov 22, 2023

Russian leaders are likely very disappointed by military defeats along the east bank of the Dnieper River after Russia left the region vulnerable with a tactical decision to withdraw forces, according to the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense (MOD).

In a Wednesday intelligence update, the MOD wrote fighting has recently resumed in southern Ukraine around the village of Krynky, “where Ukrainian marines maintain a bridgehead on the east bank” of the Dnieper.

The report comes after Kyiv’s troops recently made small-scale crossings of the Dnieper—known as the Dnipro in Ukrainian—that resulted in notable offensive operations within 50 miles of Crimea.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) think tank has reported in recent days that Ukraine has had the advantage in battles that have taken place in the region. On Monday, the ISW wrote in an assessment that Russian military bloggers have said Ukrainian units have “expanded their zone of control in the western part of Krynky,” some 18 miles northeast of Kherson City and 1 mile from the Dnieper, “and that fighting is ongoing near the settlement.”

“The ground fighting has been characterized by confused, dismounted infantry combat and artillery exchanges in complex, wooded terrain,” the MOD wrote in its intelligence update about the action around Krynky, which was posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Newsweek reached out to the Russian Ministry of Defense on Wednesday night via email for comment.

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 22 November 2023.

Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/Rr4fgvcw1G

🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/DWzdYZzQxN

— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) November 22, 2023

The British department further described the types of operations both sides have undertaken in the area.

“Ukraine has made particularly effective use of small attack uncrewed aerial vehicles, while the Russian Air Force is conducting significant numbers of sorties in support of frontline troops, predominantly launching munitions from beyond the range of Ukraine’s air defenses,” the MOD said.

The intelligence update further noted that while larger battles are taking place elsewhere in Ukraine, losing control of Krynky would be viewed as a sizable tactical defeat by Russian officials.

“The fighting around Krynky is on a smaller scale than some major battles of the war but will be considered highly unfortunate by Russian leaders,” the MOD said. “Russia withdrew from the west bank of the Dnipro River a year ago, almost certainly aiming to hold Ukrainian forces west of the river, keep the sector quiet, and free up Russian forces elsewhere.”

On his WarGonzo Telegram channel, pro-Kremlin journalist Semyon Pegov shared maps of the battlefield around Krynky on Tuesday that showed Ukrainian advancements.

“If success is achieved, the [Russian] Armed Forces will have serious problems,” Pegov warned in the post.

https://www.newsweek.com/russia-disappointment-dnieper-river-1846238