Russian morale, combat capabilities in Kherson region continue to degrade due to lack of cohesive command - ISW

Russia’s apparent failure to establish a cohesive command structure among forces defending on the east (left) bank of Kherson region continues to degrade Russian morale and combat capabilities.

This is said in a report by the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Ukrinform reports.

According to the report, the Ukrainian General Staff reported on November 29 that elements of the 810th Naval Infantry Brigade (Black Sea Fleet) operating near Krynky (30km northeast of Kherson City and 2km from the Dnipro River) are refusing to conduct assaults on Ukrainian positions due to a lack of artillery coordination, tactical intelligence transmission, and proper communication about the location of Russian minefields. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that maps of the Russian minefields are classified and that Russian commanders have not properly coordinated with assault units about the locations of these minefields, leading to 50 casualties among elements of the 810th Naval Infantry Brigade in the last month.

“The reported minefield incident suggests that the command of the 18th CAA did not share relevant tactical details with the 810th Naval Infantry Brigade’s command, suggesting that higher-level Russian commanders responsible for the defense of the east bank have yet to remedy this failure in coordination,” ISW analysts said.

Elements of the 810th Naval Infantry brigade arrived in the Krynky area in early October 2023 and appear to have taken over responsibility for the immediate Krynky area from elements of the newly created 18th Combined Arms Army (CAA) following the start of Ukrainian ground operations on the east bank of the Dnipro in mid-October 2023

ISW analysts also noted that the Russian “Dnepr” Grouping of Forces is increasingly comprised of disparate elements of recently transferred and degraded units and new formations, which may be contributing to this apparent lack of cohesive command structure. The Russian military command appointed VDV Commander Colonel General Mikhail Teplinsky as Russian “Dnepr” Grouping of Forces Commander and one of Teplinsky’s main objectives is likely to establish a more unified command for the grouping.

“The Russian military command is unlikely to remedy the “Dnepr” Grouping of Force’s command issues in the short term, however, and the continuation of Ukrainian ground operations on the left bank will likely only complicate these efforts,” the report says.

As Ukrinform reported, from February 24, 2022 to November 30, 2023, the Defense Forces of Ukraine eliminated about 328,760 Russian invaders, including 1,180 occupiers on November 29.