“Entire platoons didn’t return”: Russians’ morale undermined after Dnipro crossing failed assault

Atesh, the Ukrainian-Crimean Tatar partisan group, has reported a worsening situation among Russian occupation forces on the left bank of Kherson Oblast, particularly within the 70th Motor Rifle Division, after a failed attempt to assault the right bank of the Dnipro River.

The Atesh movement was created in 2022 after the beginning of Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine. It claims to have developed a network of saboteurs inside the Russian military and created an online course instructing Russian soldiers how to wreck their own equipment. In February 2023, it claimed 4,000 Russian soldiers were learning in its online course.

“The recent assault attempt ended with a disaster: entire platoons did not return, severely undermining the morale of the soldiers. Despite this, the military command continues to send troops to certain death, hoping to find a more favorable spot for another landing operation,” stated Atesh.

The partisans highlight additional challenges, including incompetent commanders and widespread misconduct, which have forced Russian soldiers to seek any means of survival.

“We’re seeing a growing number of appeals to our coordinators from soldiers who no longer want to fall victim to reckless adventures,” they explained.

On 18 December, Atesh reported that Russian officers from the Dnipro grouping of forces had received orders to prepare for another offensive on the right bank of Kherson. They called on Russian soldiers to disable their own vessels to evade participation in dangerous river assaults.

On 20 December, Ukrainian authorities claimed that Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups attempted to advance towards Kherson by boats but failed. The Russians tried a landing under artillery cover. The occupiers launched 1,000 shells at the city in 40 minutes, killing two civilians and damaging more than 30 multi-story buildings. Kherson Governor Oleksandr Prokudin urged residents not to panic, consider evacuation, and avoid leaving their homes unless necessary.

Kherson became the only regional capital to fall under Russian control during the 2022 invasion. The occupation lasted for nine months, during which residents faced severe repression, includingviolent crackdowns on protests and violence against civilians. On 11 November, 2022, the Armed Forces of Ukraine liberated Kherson. However, even after de-occupation, the city remains under constant threat from Russian shelling and drone attacks.