International- Ukrainian forces still control their Dnipro bridgehead despite Russian claims, reports say.
- Russian bloggers and think tanks are calling out the gap between Moscow's propaganda and reality.
As Ukraine's Dnipro bridgehead holds firm, Russian military bloggers are lashing out over reported Kremlin misinformation, the Kyiv Post reported.
Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said in a televised briefing last month that Ukrainian forces had been defeated at the Dnipro River bridgehead near Kherson.
But independent reports indicate that Ukrainian marines still maintain a stronghold around the fishing village of Krynky.
Recent developments suggest that Kyiv's troops have expanded their territory by crossing the river at a second location.
And Russian military bloggers and think tanks have called out the disconnect between Moscow's public statements and the reality on the ground.
Russian milblogger Mikhail Zvinchuk wrote on Telegram: "As to whether Krynky has been taken or not, I think we can find out with greater certainty from those who were actually there."
Russian Telegram channel Military Informant said it was unable to verify claims that the bridgehead had been eliminated.
"The enemy still retains control over part of the remnants of the settlement," it said.
"And besides, the statement that Krynky has been cleared and the simultaneous statement that the enemy remains sitting in the basements simply contradict each other," it added.
Reports from both Ukraine and Russia indicate that Russian advances in the area have been met with staunch resistance from Ukrainian infantry units, supported by effective air defenses and drone operations.
In January, the UK's Ministry of Defence said Russia appeared unable to counter Ukraine's drone attacks on the Dnipro River because of a shortage of electronic warfare capability.
Around the New Year, Ukrainian troops appeared beleaguered as they fought desperately to cling on to their bridgehead on the key river.
Marines and soldiers on the ground told The New York Times in December that Ukrainians were dying in huge numbers, often before they even reached the other side of the river.
"It's not even a fight for survival," a Ukrainian soldier named Oleksiy said, adding: "It's a suicide mission."
Another soldier, identified only as Dmytro, told The Washington Post that he felt "tossed like a piece of meat to the wolves" when he and fellow troops were instructed to cross the river and hold land on the east bank.
But the Institute for the Study of War said last month that the Kremlin likely claimed prematurely the seizure of Krynky "to reinforce its desired informational effects ahead of the March 2024 presidential election."
It added that the Kremlin "is likely setting expectations that the Russian military may fail to meet."