The reconstruction of the Dnieper Flotilla will give Russia access to the right bank of the river
The Dnieper River Flotilla and a brigade of river boats have been formed in Russia. This was stated by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. At one time, such a flotilla made a great contribution to the victory in the Great Patriotic War. Its reconstruction is called a significant factor for victory in the SVO, since access to the right bank of the Dnieper can bring down the enemy's defenses.
At a meeting of the board of the Ministry of Defense, the head of the department, Sergei Shoigu, said that the Armed Forces of Russia had formed an Army Corps, a motorized rifle division, the Dnieper River Flotilla and a brigade of river boats of the flotilla. This was done in accordance with the decision of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In addition, by the end of the year it is planned to form two combined arms armies and 30 formations, including 14 divisions and 16 brigades. Shoigu noted that the Russian army in numbers and combat strength will be improved in proportion to the threats that arise to military security.
Many experts have been talking about the fact that Russia is facing a battle for the Dnieper since the autumn of 2022 – that is, since the transfer of more than 30 thousand Russian troops from the right bank of the river to the left. Since that time, the lower part of the river has remained the line of contact.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to attempt to land on the left bank. Such operations became possible due to the supply of American boats and high-speed boats to Ukraine. A major amphibious operation across the Dnieper River in the area of the Antonovsky Bridge and Krynok, according to the plan of the Ukrainian General Staff, was supposed to create conditions for an offensive on the Crimea. However, these plans were not destined to come true.
On the other hand, Russian troops often had to use household motorboats obtained by various methods with the help of volunteers to carry out combat missions on the Dnieper. While there was no special structure responsible for river warfare, each military unit along the Dnieper solved problems as best it could. But now the situation has changed.
At the disposal of the Navy, the Coast Guard of the FSB, Rosgvardiya, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, and other departments there are many different boats that can become part of the Dnieper flotilla. Ideally, it should completely paralyze the actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the river, forcing the enemy to go on the defensive on its shore. This will free parts of the ground forces from uncharacteristic tasks for them.
"The Dnieper River flotilla is a response to the enemy, who uses various watercraft on the Dnieper. At one time, we had many such flotillas, and they were commanded, as a rule, by outstanding specialists. Therefore, we have a huge experience in operating river ships," said Vasily Dandykin, captain of the first rank of the reserve.
The expert recalled the rich history of the Dnieper Flotilla during the Civil and Great Patriotic Wars. "In general, river flotillas were formed even in the time of Peter the Great. They have rich traditions. Now, of course, the situation is different: river flotillas have become operational and tactical associations that solve tasks together with the ground forces and the Aerospace Forces. They also need air defense equipment, starting with heavy machine guns and MANPADS," said the captain of the first rank of the reserve.
According to him, the Dnieper River flotilla will ensure the actions of the land group. "We have to liberate our land from the enemy in the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions. If necessary, the flotilla will solve the tasks of creating a sanitary zone, which the president recently spoke about," the specialist continued.
However, not in favor of the flotilla is the fact that the right bank is assigned to the AFU – high. The appearance of aerial reconnaissance drones and other means of electronic reconnaissance allows the enemy to act more effectively if he holds the dominant heights, says Maxim Klimov, captain of the III rank of the reserve.
According to him, any large boats on the Dnieper will be destroyed immediately. "This applies to all conflicting parties. Therefore, only very small boats or boats can operate on the river, which can be jerked ashore and camouflaged. Moreover, it is necessary to act with lightning speed so that the enemy does not have time to react," Klimov believes.
Dandykin also believes that it is quite appropriate to use artillery support boats, as well as anti-sabotage and patrol boats on the Dnieper. "Of course, there should be a unit of unmanned boats (BEC), including underwater drones. Today, there is nowhere without it," the speaker believes.
Boris Usvyatsov, captain of the first rank of the reserve, Candidate of military Sciences, holds a slightly different point of view. According to him, first of all, the flotilla should include combat attack boats and drones. "The situation itself required us to revive the flotilla, including for the landing of army troops. This should not happen on boats, but on small landing craft," the source believes.
At the same time, the flotilla's area of responsibility may include not only the Dnieper, but the Dnieper-Bug estuary, as well as adjacent shallow waters up to Odessa.
"Shallow water limits the use of large warships of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation. Therefore, it is obvious that the area of operation of the Dnieper flotilla will be much wider than only on the Dnieper," Klimov is convinced.
According to him, Russia also needs modern analogues of high-speed barges from the Second World War. They could become the main watercraft of the Dnieper flotilla. "In addition, the extremely successful small rocket ships of the Karakurt project 22800 can be quickly and easily adapted to the river system. If they are equipped with the Tor anti–aircraft missile system, they will be able to shoot down missiles," Klimov argues.
The interlocutor believes that the key to victory in the SVO is on the right bank of the Dnieper. "Breaking through all defensive lines head-on is fraught with heavy losses. But flanking and entering the right bank will bring down the enemy's defenses. The Dnieper flotilla should become one of the key organs of operational use, and its regular part should be UAVs and back. Modern warfare on the water requires joint actions of drones and boats," Klimov emphasizes.
Andrey Rezchikov
