“I escaped from hell”: a Ukrainian soldier told about the fighting on the left bank of the Dnieper

Several hundred Ukrainian soldiers have been fighting on the left bank of the Dnieper near the village of Krynkai in the Kherson region for several weeks. Ukrainian soldiers occupied this village at the beginning of the counter-offensive that started half a year ago.

The BBC interviewer is one of those who are fighting in the Krynkai district, under constant fire from the Russian army. His last name is not given.

The soldier, who sent text messages to BBC reporters via Messenger, talks about Ukrainian troop boats exploding when they are hit by Russian shells, the lack of training for new recruits arriving at the front and the feeling of abandonment among Ukrainian soldiers.

His words indicate that tensions are rising as the second year of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine approaches.

The entire front line is constantly under fire from the Russians. Before my eyes, the boats with my brothers in arms sank, forever remaining in the Dnieper River.

Ukrainian military officials told the BBC that they are not commenting on the situation in the area for security reasons.

“The entire front line is constantly under fire from the Russians. Before my eyes, the boats with my brothers in arms sank, forever remaining in the Dnieper River.

We take everything with us to the other shore: generators, fuel, food. To maintain the forward bridgehead, everything and a lot is needed, but the supply here was not planned.

We thought that once we entered the enemies would flee and we would be able to transport everything we needed, but that was not the case.

When we crossed to the other side, enemies were waiting for us. The Russians, whom we managed to capture, told us that they had been forewarned of our landing, so the enemy knew where to shoot. Everything possible was coming at us: artillery fire, mortar fire, flamethrower fire. I thought I would never get out of there.”

However, several hundred Ukrainian marines managed to gain a foothold in the area, aided in part by Ukrainian artillery on the higher right bank of the Dnieper.

They had been forewarned of our landing, so the enemy knew where to shoot. Everything possible was coming at us: artillery fire, mortar fire, flamethrower fire. I thought I would never get out of there.

The river separates the Russian-occupied and Ukrainian-controlled parts of the southern Kherson region.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke about the good prospects of this offensive and called it the beginning of something bigger.

In a Sunday bulletin, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Army reported that the Ukrainians were holding positions on the left bank of the Dnieper and were conducting “fire strikes in the rear of the enemy.”

However, the BBC interviewer’s account shows that the Ukrainian government and its generals have different views on the state of war.

Valery Zaluzhn, commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, told the Economist magazine in November: “As in World War I, we have reached a level of technology that has brought us to a standstill. There probably won’t be a deep and beautiful breakthrough.”

President V. Zelensky’s office hastened to criticize General V. Zaluzhno’s statements and stated that there is no stalemate on the battlefield.

“We were under fire all the time. All roads and tracks are mined. The Russians can’t control everything, and we take advantage of that. But their drones are in the air all the time, ready to fire all the time, ready to shoot whenever they see movement.

There was a supply [mūsų] the weakest link. The Russians were watching him, and it was getting harder and harder.

Water was particularly scarce, although some was transported by boat or drone.

We bought extra generators, rechargeable batteries and warm clothes ourselves. Now the cold weather is coming and it will only get worse. And since the real situation is hidden here, nothing will change.

No one knows their goals. Many people think that management has simply abandoned us. The guys think we’re getting off [kairiajame krante] had more political than military significance. But we just did our job and didn’t go into strategy.”

No one knows their goals. Many people think that management has simply abandoned us. The boys believe that our landing had more political than military significance.

There is no doubt, the BBC writes, that the new front opened by the Ukrainian armed forces forced the Russians to move part of their troops from other parts of the front, as well as from well-fortified defensive positions in the Zaporizhia region, where Kyiv hoped to break through faster.

Dnieper coast on the map

The BBC Russia Service recently spoke to some Russian soldiers who are defending the left bank of the Dnieper near Krynkai. They said it was “suicide” to go into the area, told of heavy losses and the failure to dislodge the Ukrainians.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military says it is working to cut off Russian supply lines and force a retreat from the river to protect civilians from shelling.

All this means that both Russian and Ukrainian soldiers are under intense fire.

“Usually all of our losses were caused by mistakes: I didn’t go where I needed to, I didn’t come out where I needed to, I hid badly. If someone makes a fool of himself, they immediately come out with everything (all types of weapons, – ed. post.).

But thanks to our doctors: if a wounded person reached them, they saved him. They are gods, titans. But we cannot take away the dead. This is very dangerous.

Our drones and artillery are now inflicting heavy losses on the enemy. We took prisoners once, but where are we going to put them if we can’t get ours out?”

All those who wanted to volunteer for the war had long since come. No amount of money will disappoint you now. Now those who were unable to escape conscription come to us.

As in other parts of the front, this operation turned into a war of attrition. Russia is sending new forces to the front, while Ukraine is struggling to find the troops it so desperately needs.

A recent BBC investigation found that around 20,000 men have fled Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion in an attempt to avoid conscription.

Kostiantyn Liberov, Vlada Liberova/Ukrainian soldiers are crossing the Dnieper

“Several brigades should have disembarked here, not companies. We lack men.

We need men, but trained men, not the kind we have now. There are those who have been trained [tik] several weeks and only shot a few times. It’s just a nightmare. A year ago I wouldn’t have said that, but now, sorry, it’s the end.

All those who wanted to volunteer for the war had long since come. No amount of money will disappoint you now. Now those who were unable to escape conscription come to us.

You’re going to laugh, but there are guys in the Marines who can’t swim.”

The village of Krynkai turned into ruins.

So far, it has not been possible to repeat the scenario of last year, when Kherson and a large part of the Kharkiv region were liberated. Now the Ukrainians managed to regain only small areas of devastated and abandoned land.

You could say I got out of hell. Although those who replaced us went to an even greater hell.

This makes the situation of President V. Zelenskii, who seeks to secure long-term political support from the West, increasingly difficult.

But whatever happens, the BBC interviewer, a Ukrainian soldier, will soon be back in battle.

“One of my brothers in arms was hit by a mine. I was contused and all that was left of him was the helmet.

You could say I got out of hell. Although those who replaced us went to an even greater hell.

Soon I will have to go to the left bank again.”