Credit: Ukrainian Marine Corps 40th Coastal Defense Brigade
In a desperate bid for freedom, a group of Russian soldiers board a small boat and sail away from a swampy islet in the Dnieper delta.
Wrapped in makeshift camouflage made of reeds and mud, they lie in the water, hoping that the narrow canals will conceal their escape back to Russian-occupied territory.
But above, Ukrainian troops watch their every move.
Soon, the drone of a suicide drone cuts through the fog. He throws himself onto the boat. And then it explodes.
Credit: Ukrainian Marine Corps 40th Coastal Defense Brigade
This fleeting and brutal encounter captures the reality of life (and death) on the Dnipro River, where hundreds of Russian troops are reportedly stranded and starving on a chain of islands south of Kherson.
“This area is a death zone for Russia,” Colonel Oleksandr Zavtonov of Ukraine’s 30th Marine Corps told The Telegraph. “There is nowhere to hide.”
The islands lie in the sprawling Dnipro delta, a labyrinth of reed-covered marshes and narrow channels that form a natural barrier south of Kherson.
Since Ukrainian forces liberated the southern city in November 2022, the river has become a de facto front line.
Its right bank is in the hands of Ukraine and its left bank, low and prone to flooding, is occupied by Russian troops.
Constant drone flights, artillery clashes and night attacks have turned the area into one of the war’s most dangerous battlefields, where progress is measured in meters and survival often depends on concealment and timing.
Ukrainian intelligence suggests that 5,100 Russians have died in the delta since January this year, and there are reports of soldiers dying of starvation due to lack of supplies.
“The prisoners our fighters recently took on the islands spoke of the impossibility of providing them with food and drinking water, and that they had to drink water from the river,” Colonel Zavtonov said.
Footage from the Dnipro delta has captured a disturbing scene of small boats and makeshift boats trying to free themselves from heavily marshy areas, and soldiers taking cover in vegetation as they struggle to flee.
In many cases, they are eliminated by the ever-vigilant Ukrainian drones.
Credit: Ukrainian Marine Corps 40th Coastal Defense Brigade
“Enemy advances are carried out by small groups trying to camouflage themselves, a tactic that was not seen at the beginning of the war,” explained Oksana Kuzan, head of the analytical department at the Center for Cooperation and Security of Ukraine.
“Russian military units remaining on the islands of the Dnipro delta face serious problems with food, ammunition and rotations.”
At a tactical level, islands offer small teams the opportunity to gather intelligence or establish radio networks that increase the operational range of unmanned aerial vehicles.
Compact, well-hidden units can use the islands for reconnaissance missions or forward observation posts.
Controlling the water gives soldiers influence over river crossings, small boat movements, and potential enemy resupply routes.
But the islands are low-lying and surrounded by open water, making troops visible and easy to attack from the air or across the river.
“It’s a big area of water; there’s nowhere to hide on the islands themselves, and the terrain is mostly swampy, and units crossing them will be too vulnerable,” Colonel Zavtonov said.
The islands are low-lying and surrounded by open water, leaving troops visible and easy to attack.
There are reports that Russian soldiers have been forced to purchase engines and boats out of their own pockets to try to progress.
John Hardie, deputy director of the Russia program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told The Telegraph that these conditions made resupplying and rotating troops in the area an exceptionally difficult challenge for Russia.
“In general, at this stage of war, moving to and from positions is one of the most dangerous things you can do, so rotations tend to be infrequent,” he said.
Controlling water gives soldiers influence over river crossings, small boat movements and possible enemy resupply routes – Mstyslav Chernov/AP
Some units of the 98th Airborne Division, redeployed from the Kramatorsk direction, are known to be operating on the islands.
It was also reported that Russian marines from the 61st Separate Brigade landed on the islands in April and were deliberately kept in their positions for several months.
On October 15, the Russians attempted to land their troops to rotate forces stationed on the islands of Kruhluy, Malyi, Bilogrudyi and Oleksiyivskyi, organize logistical support and establish observation posts, according to intelligence information.
But the attempt was disastrous.
“The Ukrainian defenders maintain the positions they have occupied; no losses or advances have been allowed,” Colonel Zavtonov said.
He noted that Ukraine carries out reconnaissance missions “24 hours a day.”
Ms. Kuzan reported that in September, soldiers of the 2nd Battalion of the 40th Separate Coastal Defense Brigade of the Ukrainian Naval Forces successfully destroyed Russian groups attempting to land on the shores of the Kherson region using boats.
Ukrainian troops carry out regular reconnaissance missions across the Dnieper River and its banks – Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images
The Russians had pinned their hopes on stormy weather – rain, thick fog and fierce winds that blinded drones on both sides – to break through the Ukrainian lines.
“The enemy tries to act in small groups of infantry, counting on the effect of surprise. This is facilitated by rain, fog and strong wind, which complicates the work of drones from both sides,” explained Colonel Zavtonov. “But we’re always watching.”
With winter approaching, Ukrainian officials warn that the front could become even more deadly.
Commander Dmytro Pletenchuk of the Ukrainian Navy told The Telegraph that the Russians were constantly trying to take control of the islands, “regardless of the losses of their military.”
“The islands, like any other territory in Ukraine, are important. If you let the Russians capture any territory, they will definitely move on,” he said. “But the Russians who manage to gain a foothold on the islands do not survive for long.”
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