Shogu lied about the hostage
Russian Minister Sergei Shoigu argued that Russian troops have completely captured the cries on the Eastern (left bank) of the Kherson region, although visual evidence from open sources and Ukrainian and Russian reports show that the defense forces are retaining their bridgehead in the area.
During a briefing with Putin Shogua, the Russian troops were clearing the cribs, although Putin argued that the commander of the Dnipr troops "Dnepr" Colonel-General Mikhail Teplinsky told him that a small number of Ukrainian soldiers remained in the settlement.
Subsequently, Shoigu denied the statement of Teplinsky and named the attempts of the Russian Federation to liquidate the bridgehead with a successfully completed operation and praised the units of the Air Force and the 810th Maritime Infantry Brigade for their role in the operation, which is a typical praise of the Kremlin after the capture of the Russian tactical object.
As of writing the news of the ISW analyst news, no visual evidence of the prominent promotion of Russia near a limited Ukrainian bridgehead in and near Krynki, the head of the united Press Center, the Defense Defense of the South, Colonel Natalia Humeniuk reported that the Ukrainian forces continue to gradually expand their bridge.
In addition, Russian milblogists claimed that on February 19 and 20, regular positional battles continued under the crusts, and they did not celebrate the success of the Russians in the area.
Experts suggest that the Kremlin probably "prematurely stated" the seizure of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Krynok to strengthen the desired information effect on the eve of the presidential election in March 2024, although in Moscow is likely to form expectations that the Russian military may not live up. The Russian Defense Minister also called the Krynok's alleged capture by the official end of the Ukrainian counter -offensive, which began in 2023 in the summer of 2023.
Analysts add that the Kremlin delayed the recognition that the Russian Federation has taken the initiative throughout the fighting in Ukraine, probably because of potential concerns about the Army's ability to attack, and Shoigi probably officially announced the "end" that Russia has such an initiative.
The report emphasizes that the Kremlin may increasingly declare "victories" on the battlefield in Ukraine without complete guarantees of tactical and prompt success to maintain information efforts that simultaneously "glorify Putin and demoralize Ukraine". Analysts say that such growing rhetorical confidence can create in the Russian information space of expectations that the military cannot justify.