A Risky Move: Ukraine's Amphibious Assault in Kherson

And use code PRESTON for 20% off their annual plan

Today we're looking at the Ukrainian amphibious assault across the Dnipro in 2023. This event caught a lot of attention right away but slowly faded from the news cycle. A recent article by Ukrainian Pravda dove into exclusive interviews with leaders and marines involved in the operation to give us the best picture to date of what exactly happened over the course of those few months of fighting.

[PrestonStewart]

And use code PRESTON for 20% off their annual plan

[chavezchavo]

I remember watching a report where even Putin himself was puzzled as to why Ukrainians were trying to maintain that position. Ukrainian command really dropped the ball on this. Too many Ukrainians lost here.

[AlbionArg]

Very interesting. Thank you for covering this. Glory to those brave marines who sacrificed their lives attempting this.

[m.streicher]

The story was widely told at the time, but without the clarity of retrospect. Looking forward to watching this later <3

[m.rogers]

How could any military planner think it was okay to have troops travel 3-plus kilometers on a raised embankment in the middle of a swamp against a dug-in force? Insanity.

[TheGoodShepherd]

There’s a magnet on my fridge with a quote by Winston Churchill:

“However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the result.”

That’s kind of ironic since it was Churchill’s vision in WW1 that led to the stalled and ultimate failed amphibious assault at Gallipoli.

Personally, I’m surprised the Ukrainians managed to seize and keep significant territory that long at all given the odds that were against them. Like many times in this conflict one wonders what could have been had they been given significant resources at the right time.

Great video, I’ve always wanted to know more about this offensive.

[aaronrocs]

Krynky showed the doggedness of the Ukrainian marines. I remember being amazed that they held that little strip of land for so long. Those guys are legendary. I got sitreps on Krynky daily, but there were larger operations taking place on the front at that time, and I think that's why the mainstream media didn't report on it extensively.

[blackheartstories]

Honestly this sounds like it was planned awfully. I understand if I wanted to draw forces away, but using these times of operations were not designed to do that. These are meant to actually grain and hold ground for a bigger push. D-Day is the best example. Especially since at this time, the Ukrainians were still low on equipment. This should have been the operation they committed to and used the other front to draw a troop if need be. This could have been very effective, if they had plans to immediately support those Maine's once they grain a foot hold. You could have divided the Russian forces, once your other forces were over and supplied lines were established. Hell even just sending in those Maine's to conduct raids for a very period of time and get out would have been much more effective.

[jagx]

"Daring" also equals "massively moronic and casualty intensive"

I am USMC, I can speak to amphibious more so than most in the comments section.

[JustMe-andyou]

There's a German expression which perfectly matches these "allied advisers" - BESSERWISSER - "betterknower". For them this tradgedy is nothing but a chance to prove themselves before retiring...Sick

[epicboy]

Thanks for covering this. Very interesting and informative.

[simonbarry]

Thanks, Preston, for posting this retrospect on this operation, like many, I wondered what happened to it.
I think that the comments calling it an obvious disaster start to finish miss the point made by the soldiers themselves that resupply would have improved if they had succeeded in creating a joined up beachhead, which they didn't.
Although it was obviously high risk, the potential reward was high. So it is a debate about the high risk vs high reward balancing act.
I don't know the answer.

[ianbrown]

Complete and utter Stupidity at all levels above the poor guys that went across the river and fought!
You have the gall to say "If" they had achieved "this" or "that" - But they DIDN'T and they never were going to - because they were under trained, under equipped and under supported.... If anything, I think you should be calling this what it was - a crime by their own leadership! A complete and utter waste of life to achieve nothing of tactical or strategic value - IMHO. And no, I don't have a big "Z" tattoo on my

[a.N.....]

it was a stupid plan from the beginning, lack of men, klack of supplies, terrible terrain, not exploiting the initial breakout, rip that plan.

[rogeri]

One could write a big list of operations that were a 'failure' during world war 2, but many of them also provided valuable lessons and information for subsequent operations. It's too early to pass judgement on this operation.

[jerseyshoredroneservices]

Thanks for this report which includes far more information than previously heard about the operation.
Based on what's in this video that operation doesn't sound like a long shot it sounds like it was doomed from the beginning.
How would it ever be reasonable to tell guys to take and old land with no way to re supply?
Unless there's more to this, I think that whoever planned and approved the plan should be demoted to fighting on the front line.

[shan-lekearns]

😆The Ukie Marines command has habit of poorly planning out offensive operations. From personal experience we were told that planed a massive assault in Stormmyorsk but accumulated a bunch of infantry and BMPs in the open well within Arty range. They died before they could even begin. Then, our commander was told a lie of a plan to get us out there to hold positions that hadn't been taken. The soldats we meet up with in the trenches we're told a completely different plan and most of the guys we had at the time had just come fresh from 4th batt and had no experience on the front and especially no assault training. We got sent into FPV he'll and got torn apart, no one was able to hold a posting for more than a few hours. I sat in collapsing basement listening to one of the new guys and last survivors of his squad getting picked apart by FPVs, Arty and gun fire for 38 minutes while he tried to evacuate himself. Soon after I made the decision to retreat my squad because we were being encircle. We got to position as the sun rose and moved at 8 am. It was a choice between if we stay here we will die and if we try we might survive. It was daylight and out of my fire team 2 WIA 1"MIA" and I was the only one untouched. My unit was in that AO for less than 24 hours and lost half the Platoon. Many of the survivors broke contract and left the country. For the best.
I have bad experience working with the Ukrainian Marines and the Tar Tars they don't think they just send meat waves. It's the left over Soviet era commanders who have never been to the front and their Dogma. They have no respect for the live of their men 🤣😂😭

[craigtheng]

I had wondered a lot about what happened there and why it stopped being reported on.

[NAFO_MythicPlague]

Preston thank you for the great video. I recall that entire time of the war. I had some real hope that they could pull off such a massive gamble. However those that do not take great risks get no rewards for their effort.

[marcm.]

19:26 I'm glad you reported on this. I was curious then and I still am about this particular operation. The thing that stands out to me, is that at the time, the very people who had to do the operation were questioning some essential aspects of the plan. That should have been sufficient reason to reevaluate the plan. I'm not saying that they should have not done it, I am saying that there was a glaring mistake in the planning. We all know that planning does not survive first contact, but planning is essential, and more importantly good planning enables readjustment whereas bad planning does not. Had I been a civilian observer of this particular situation, I would have been screaming at the top of my lungs to tell them not to do it without reevaluation and probably retasking of some resources. Had I been a military observer, I would have been seriously talking to my superiors and making sure that I wasn't promoted ever again simply because I was such a pain in the ass and not a team player. Again I'm not saying that it should not have been done, I'm saying that reevaluation was absolutely in order