Moscow is apparently trying to contain "hysteria"
Ukraine is making advances on the eastern bank of the Dnipro - which is causing concern among Russian military bloggers. They complain that the wounded also have to fight and that "their own inertia" is the "main enemy on the front". Defense Minister Shoigu is now reacting.
The Russian Ministry of Defense and Russian officials are apparently trying to play down the "hysteria" over the Ukrainian operations on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in the Kherson region. This is reported by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and is based on statements by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. In a speech at his ministry on Tuesday, he stated that the Russian armed forces had prevented all Ukrainian attempts to carry out successful "amphibious operations in the direction of Kherson". In doing so, they had inflicted "colossal" losses on the Ukrainian armed forces.
According to the ISW, Shoigu's statement is probably a reaction to the concerns of some Russian military bloggers about the Ukrainian attacks on the eastern bank of the Dnipro and the Russian inability to repel them. However, the Institute does not expect Shoigu's statements to 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 River in the Kherson region and criticize the Russian military's apparent inability to suppress the operations. A blogger stated on Tuesday that Ukrainian forces had killed an entire Russian assault group near Krynky, 30 kilometers northeast of the city of Kherson and 2 kilometers from the Dnipro River. According to a Telegram channel: "After studying the statements of various channels and talking to soldiers on the front line, we have once again come to the conclusion that our main enemy on the front line is not the Ukrainian 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 from the Black Sea Fleet operating near Krynky also circulated a video with harsh criticism of his own military. According to the report, injured Russian soldiers were 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 operating near Krynky sounds similar. The letter, which according to ISW was published by a military blogger, complained that the Russian armed forces lacked reconnaissance drones in the Krynky area. This slows down their movements and exposes them to the 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 position after firing "a few shots" in order to avoid return fire. According to the soldier, his unit had virtually no interaction with other Russian units operating nearby. The Russian headquarters near Kherson is drawing up unsuccessful plans because it only receives false and delayed information.
The Russian government is downplaying the international outrage over Russia's attack on Ukraine in the Kherson region, as reported by the Institute for the Study of War. Amidst these conflicting reports, Russian military bloggers have expressed concern about the Ukrainian advances on the eastern bank of the Dnipro, specifically in Kherson, where Ukrainian forces have been successfully repelling Russian assaults.
Source: www.ntv.de
