For the Ukrainian Marines, the battle east of the Dnieper is a must-win

In the heart of the Kherson region, along the war-torn banks of the Dnieper River, a fierce struggle embodies the sacrifice and determination of Ukrainian civilian soldiers.

Initially, the Ukrainians intended to use the stronghold on the east bank of the Dnieper River as a starting point for outflanking the Russian army. Now, this hard-won stronghold has become an important defensive position. The Ukrainian Marines have insufficient firepower and are located in a swampy area. If they want to hold this land, they must withstand the relentless Russian artillery and mortar fire.

The battle for the eastern bank of the Dnieper is widely considered one of the costliest campaigns of the war. As Ukraine fought with dwindling supplies from the West, the tide tilted in Russia’s favor during the winter. But Ukraine appeared determined to hold out, deploying at least three marine brigades and several artillery units in the region.

“This is the safest and narrowest place for the Russians to cross the river, so we have to stop them there and use this to move forward,” said Ivan, a Ukrainian soldier who was injured while ferrying troops across the river. “My family gave me the courage to fight. … I said to the people there, ‘Hold on.'”

Ivan, a Ukrainian soldier recovering in the port city of Odessa, has served four combat deployments since volunteering to serve his country in March 2022. He said his worst experience so far was in Kherson.

“It’s horrible,” Ivan whispered, his voice hoarse from exhaustion and chain-smoking. “You can hear the explosions 24 hours a day.”

(Ivan, like other soldiers in this story, asked to be identified by only one name for privacy and security reasons.)

But neither his experience nor his injuries stopped him from returning to the front, and Ivan hoped to go back as soon as the doctors confirmed he was well enough.

In the heart of the Kherson region, amid the flames of war on the Dnieper River, a fierce struggle embodies the sacrifice and determination of Ukrainian civilian soldiers.

Initially, the Ukrainians intended to use the stronghold on the east bank of the Dnieper River as a starting point for outflanking the Russian army. Now, this hard-won stronghold has become an important defensive position. The Ukrainian Marines have insufficient firepower and are located in a swampy area. If they want to hold this land, they must withstand the relentless Russian artillery and mortar fire.

“This is the safest and narrowest crossing for the Russians, so we have to stop them there and use this to move forward,” said Ivan, who has seen his wife and daughter only 10 days since the war began. “My family gives me the courage to fight. … I say to the people there, hold on.”

Important bridgehead

The battle to gain a foothold on the east bank of the Dnieper River began Kakhovka hydroelectric power station dam destroyed In the summer of 2023, floods hit. The resulting flooding made Ukraine’s initial operational plan meaningless. Ukrainian special forces adapted to the situation and spent months developing a river crossing strategy. With the help of speedboats and helicopters, they successfully gained a tactical foothold on the other side of the river in November.

The cost of holding the bridgehead was enormous. In the winter, with the fighting in Ukraine, the tide of the war tilted towards Russia. As Western supplies dwindledBut Ukraine appears determined to hold on, deploying at least three marine brigades and several artillery units in the region.

A breakout from the bridgehead would allow Ukrainian forces to outflank Russia’s defenses and open a path on the southeastern front toward Crimea, a territory annexed by Russia in 2014.

“This will completely change the situation in favor of Ukraine and at the expense of Russia,” said Mykola Bielieskov, a researcher at Ukraine’s Institute for National Strategic Studies. “That’s why the Russians are so eager to raze this bridgehead to the ground.”

Ukraine has not commented on combat losses. But the battle east of the Dnieper is widely considered one of the costliest of the war because of difficult terrain, superior Russian firepower and Moscow’s willingness to send large numbers of its soldiers on suicide attacks, which Ukrainian soldiers call “physical assaults.”

Bileskov estimated that Russia would commit 15,000 to 20,000 troops to this part of the front to keep the pressure on, which is twice the number of Ukrainian soldiers. While the defenders did not advance as much as planners had hoped, he considered their success in holding the bridgehead a major achievement.

“We need to emphasize the level of sacrifice and commitment of the Ukrainian marines who take part in such combat,” he said.

Dangerous intersection

In the harsh terrain on the east bank of the Dnieper River, evacuation was an extremely dangerous task, fraught with danger at every turn.

That’s how Ivan was wounded in April, while transporting new recruits and evacuating wounded soldiers from the east bank. He still vividly remembers the moment he narrowly escaped death in a drone strike while crossing the treacherous river under cover of darkness.

Behind him, on the riverbank, the shattered buildings and broken walls are a chilling testimony to the brutality of a war now in its third year. Amid the ruins, soldiers hide in the few remaining basements, their only refuge from artillery fire, hail of rockets and drone attacks.

A badly wounded soldier lying on the boat guided Ivan away from the wreckage. Ivan himself was wounded by shrapnel. In the chaos, a Russian drone zeroed in on the ship, its menacing silhouette barely discernible against the dark sky. “Jump!” the soldier lying on the ground yelled. The warning saved Ivan’s life.

“We were all injured, but we managed to reach the other side and evacuate,” Ivan recalled, sitting in an open-air cafe in Odessa’s picturesque port.

As the veterans vividly described, the terrain itself was a formidable adversary. Shell holes, rubble, and uneven ground hindered every step. Most evacuations were not performed by combat medics, but by fellow soldiers. Sometimes they had to carry wounded comrades for more than half a mile to reach the evacuation point.

Why they fight

The Marines knew when they deployed that they would face an intense battle.

“Fear and cold” is how Dima, a Zhitomir native who was injured in a grenade explosion during a previous deployment, summed up his experience there.

“This is the toughest place I’ve ever served,” he said, but he was determined to keep going no matter the cost. “The most important thing is that the enemy suffered huge losses there,” he added.

Not long ago, many soldiers in the Marine Corps had ordinary jobs. Maxim from Orishiv is a welder who was transferred to the Marine Brigade after volunteering his welding services for the army. He wanted to take a short leave so that he could marry his partner.

“I worry about my children — whether they will survive, whether they will be alone,” the father of three sat brooding.

Andry, a former construction worker who is now a Marine combat medic trainer, is also torn between duty and family, but he finds solace in a morning text exchange with his son. The boy, who had just turned 12, was disappointed not to see his father to celebrate — but his disappointment was eased by his father’s promise of a nice gift. This brief moment of normalcy and connection with family helps strengthen the Marines’ resolve.

The cost of resisting the Russians on the Dnieper bridgehead was high. But the cost of failure would be even higher.

“I don’t want my family to see what’s happening here,” Andre said. “I want my son to grow up in a free country and never have to pick up a weapon. That’s why I fight.”

This report was supported by Oleksandr Naselenko.