Russian army units are engaged in fierce battles on the Kherson front, as they seek to repel Ukraine’s counterattack. Kyiv’s forces have made some early progress and have already succeeded in breaking through Russians defence lines in several places. Over the weekend, they maintained their forward momentum, as they liberated more villages and towns in the Kherson province.
Ukraine’s leaders are determined to retake Kherson city, which fell to Moscow early in the war.
The port city is located on the Black Sea and Dnipro River and is of vital importance strategically.
Its capture would not only be a significant morale boost, but would also provide a launch pad to retake the Crimea.
Russia’s commanders have deployed some of their most experienced and professional units to the region in a bid to foil Kyiv’s plans for reconquest.
Among those units are Russian Paratroopers, revered and feared in equal measure for their combat skills.
A detachment of paratroopers found itself recently under heavy fire during a battle near the Inhulets River.
As the situation became ever more desperate, they radioed in for artillery support.
However, their calls went unheeded, as they were left to their fates by ‘drunken’ artillery officers.
WarMonitor, an analyst who regularly comments on military events in Ukraine, tweeted: “Russian artillery teams near the Inhulets frontline reportedly did not respond to desperate calls from Russian Paratroopers and failed to provide any fire support for hours.
“Russian sources complain about them being ‘Drunken’ which would not surprise me at all.”
He added: “Russian ‘elite’ paratrooper units are being forced into the heaviest fighting in Kherson region.
READ MORE: Putin puppet Solovyov laughing and dancing to Zelensky show
He said: “The Russian morale is poor as they have a shortage of food, equipment and in many cases they have not been properly paid.
“But they are still fighting hard and putting up a stiff resistance.
“They appear to be better led than the troops in the first months.
“They are either learning or the best fighters have been promoted into senior positions.”