There is currently no evidence of a Russian advance in Krynky — ISW

The Russian leadership needs statements about the destruction of the Ukrainian foothold on the left bank of the Kherson region to amplify the desired information effect on the eve of the presidential «elections».

This was reported by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

On February 20, Russian Defence Minister Shoigu declared that Russian troops had captured the village of Krynky on the left bank of the Kherson region. However, visual evidence from open sources, along with Ukrainian and Russian reports, suggests that the Ukrainian Armed Forces maintain a limited foothold in the area.

«The Kremlin may have prematurely announced the capture of Krynky by Russian troops to enhance the desired information effect ahead of the March 2024 presidential election», — stated the ISW report.

During a briefing with Putin, Shoigu claimed that Russian troops had cleared Krynky, while Putin asserted that Russian Colonel General Mikhail Teplinsky, commanding the «Dnipro» group, reported that a small number of Ukrainian troops remained in the village.

Shoigu dismissed Teplinsky’s claim, presenting the Russian effort as a successful operation. He praised the airborne troops and the 810th Marine Brigade for their roles in the operation.

As of the report’s publication, ISW has not observed any visual evidence of a significant Russian advance near the limited Ukrainian foothold in and around Krynky.

It is noted that Russia’s overarching strategic goal of destroying Ukraine’s sovereignty and restoring the rule of a pro-Russian Ukrainian government has remained unchanged for a decade since its illegal invasion of Ukraine.

The previous evening, the Southern Ukrainian Defence Forces denied information about the alleged destruction of a bridgehead on the left bank of the Dnipro River by the occupiers. It is emphasized that, after a single assault attempt during the day resulted in significant losses, «the occupiers retreated to pre-prepared positions, from which they falsely report the destruction of the bridgehead».