Ukrainian advances are worrying
Moscow is apparently trying to curb “hysteria”.
November 22, 2023, 10:56 a.m
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Ukraine is making advances on the eastern bank of the Dnipro – which is fueling concern among Russian military bloggers. They complain that the wounded also have to fight and that “their own indolence” is the “main enemy at the front.” Defense Minister Shoigu is now reacting.
The Russian Defense Ministry and Russian officials appear to be trying to downplay the “hysteria” over Ukrainian operations on the eastern bank of the Dnipro in the Kherson region. This reports that Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and is based on statements by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. On Tuesday, he declared in a speech in his ministry that the Russian armed forces had prevented all Ukrainian attempts to carry out successful “amphibious operations in the direction of Kherson”. They inflicted “colossal” losses on the Ukrainian armed forces.
According to ISW, Shoigu’s statement is likely a response to concerns among some Russian military bloggers about Ukrainian attacks on the eastern bank of the Dnipro and Russia’s inability to repel them. However, the institute does not believe that Shoigu’s statements will calm the ever-growing complaints in the Russian information space.
According to the ISW report, Russian military bloggers complain about the presence of Ukrainian troops on the left bank of the Dnipro in the Kherson region and criticize the Russian military’s apparent inability to suppress the operations. A blogger said on Tuesday that Ukrainian forces had killed an entire Russian attack group near Krynky, 30 kilometers northeast of the city of Kherson and 2 kilometers from the Dnipro River. In one Telegram channel It says: “After studying the statements of various channels and conversations with soldiers at the front, we have once again come to the conclusion that our main enemy at the front is not the Ukrainian armed forces, but our own inertia. At all levels. The Russian army has come a long way in its development, but there is still a lot to learn.”
According to the ISW report, a Russian soldier in the Black Sea Fleet operating near Krynky also distributed a video with harsh criticism of his own military. Accordingly, injured Russian soldiers would be forced to carry out attacks. For every Russian soldier operating in the Krynky area, there are also three Ukrainian drones.
A letter from a Russian soldier who is said to be on duty near Krynky sounds similar. The letter, which according to the ISW was published by a military blogger, complained that the Russian armed forces in the Krynky area lacked reconnaissance drones. This slows down their movements and puts them at risk of Ukrainian attacks. The soldier also apparently complained that the Russian forces in the Krynky area lacked fire support, as artillery and mortar units quickly changed their location after firing “a few shots” to avoid return fire. According to the soldier, his unit has virtually no interaction with other Russian units operating nearby. The Russian headquarters near Kherson is making unsuccessful plans because it only receives false and delayed information.