A division of Russian paratroopers suffered hefty losses during an attempt to knock out Ukrainian forces near the village of Krynky on the left bank of the Dnipro River in the Kherson region.
The newly formed Russian air assault division suffered heavy losses
According to intelligence reports, at the beginning of December 2023, the newly formed 104th Guards Airborne Division of the Airborne Forces of the Russian Federation, with a high probability, suffered significant losses. It did not fulfil the assigned tasks during its combat debut in the Kherson region.
The operation took place after the division joined the Dnipro Group of Russian troops and attempted to knock out the Ukrainian bridgehead near the village of Krynky on the eastern bank of the Dnieper.
104 GAD was reportedly poorly supported by airpower and artillery, while many of the troops were highly likely inexperienced, the intelligence writes.
According to British analysts, after this incident, Russian "mil bloggers" called on the commander of the Russian troop group "Dniepr", Colonel General Mikhail Teplinskiy, to resign.
This is a blow to Teplinsky’s reputation as one of the more capable Russian field commanders of the war: in his routine role he is also commanding general of the VDV, the British intelligence states.
What is known about the use of Russian paratroopers at the front
In September, as reported by British intelligence, the Russian Federation reinforced the 58th General Army group with additional airborne units in the Orichiv direction in the Zaporizhzhia region.
At the same time, paratroopers were used as line infantry to replenish the exhausted ground forces.
In particular, in October of this year, the appointment of a new commander by the occupiers in the Kherson direction, Colonel-General Mikhail Teplinskiy, could indicate increased pressure on the occupiers in the south from the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
