CaliToday (22/10/2025): In a desperate bid for freedom, a group of Russian soldiers crams into a tiny boat and pushes off from a marshy islet in the Dnipro delta. Cloaked in makeshift camouflage made of reeds and mud, they lie low in the water, hoping the narrow channels will conceal their escape back towards Russian-occupied territory.
But high above, Ukrainian troops are watching their every move.
Soon, the buzz of a suicide drone cuts through the mist. It swoops on the boat. And then it explodes.
This fleeting, brutal encounter, captured by Ukrainian forces, encapsulates the grim reality of life—and death—on the Dnipro river, where hundreds of Russian troops are reportedly stranded and starving on a chain of islands south of Kherson.
“The area is a death zone for Russia,” Colonel Oleksandr Zavtonov of Ukraine’s 30th Marine Corps told The Telegraph. “There is nowhere to hide.”
A Front Line of Marshes and Drones
The islands lie in the sprawling Dnipro delta, a labyrinth of reed-covered marshes and narrow waterways that form a natural buffer south of the liberated city of Kherson. Since Ukrainian forces retook the city in November 2022, the river has become a de facto front line: its right (west) bank is held by Ukraine, and its low-lying, flood-prone left (east) bank is occupied by Russian troops.
Constant drone flights, relentless artillery clashes, and daring night raids have turned the area into one of the most perilous battlefields of the war, where advances are measured in meters and survival often depends on concealment.
Ukrainian intelligence suggests the toll has been enormous, with 5,100 Russians reportedly killed in the delta since January of this year alone. Footage from the area captures haunting scenes of tiny dinghies and makeshift boats, with soldiers cloaked in vegetation, making futile bids for freedom from the marshes, only to be eliminated by ever-watching Ukrainian drones.
Beyond the constant threat of attack, Russian forces on the islands are facing a logistical nightmare, with reports of soldiers starving to death due to a complete breakdown in supplies.
“The prisoners that our fighters recently took on the islands talked about the inability to deliver food and drinking water to them, and they have to drink water from the river,” said Colonel Zavtonov.
A Tactical Trap
The islands present a deadly paradox. At a tactical level, they offer small teams opportunities to gather intelligence, establish radio networks to extend drone operational range, or serve as forward observation posts to control river crossings and spot potential enemy resupply routes.
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| Drone flights, artillery clashes and night raids have turned the area into one of the most perilous battlefields of the war - Mstyslav Chernov/AP |
But this tactical value comes at an impossible price. The islands are low-lying, swampy, and surrounded by open water, leaving troops visible and exceptionally easy to target from the air or across the river.
“It is a large water area; there is nowhere to hide on the islands themselves... units passing through them will be too vulnerable,” said Colonel Zavtonov.
John Hardie, deputy director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Russia programme, told The Telegraph that these conditions make resupply and troop rotations an exceptionally difficult challenge for Russia.
“In general, at this stage in the war, moving to and from positions is among the most dangerous things you can do, so rotations tend to be infrequent,” Hardie said. The situation is reportedly so dire that Russian soldiers have been forced to buy motors and boats out of their own pockets to try and make progress.
Failed Rotations and a Desperate Gamble
Despite the risks, Russian command has continued to send troops into the delta. Units from the 98th Airborne Division, redeployed from the Kramatorsk direction, are known to be operating on the islands. Russian marines from the 61st Separate Brigade, who landed in April, have reportedly been deliberately kept on their positions for several months.
On October 15, Russian forces attempted a major rotation to resupply forces on the islands of Kruhluy, Malyi, Bilogrudyi, and Oleksiyivskyi. The attempt was disastrous.
“Ukrainian defenders hold the positions they have occupied; no losses or breakthroughs have been allowed,” said Colonel Zavtonov, noting that Ukrainian reconnaissance missions are carried out “around the clock.”
With Ukrainian drones dominating the airspace, Russian forces have pinned their hopes on bad weather. “The enemy is trying to operate in small groups of infantry, counting on the effect of surprise. This is facilitated by rain, fog and strong wind, which complicates the work of drones on both sides,” explained Zavtonov. “But we are always watching.”
As winter closes in, Ukrainian officials warn the front could become even deadlier. Commander Dmytro Pletenchuk of the Ukrainian Navy told The Telegraph that Russia continues to try to take the islands, “regardless of the losses.”
“The islands, like any other territory of Ukraine, are important. If you let the Russians capture some territory, they will definitely move on,” he said. “But those Russians who gain a foothold on the islands do not survive for long.”