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https://www.newsweek.com/russia-kherson-boat-problem-igor-girkin-1810350

Russia Facing Major Kherson Boat Problem After 'Failed' Work
BY GIULIA CARBONARO ON 7/2/23 AT 11:58 AM EDT

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Russia Loses 4,430 Service Members As Putin Deals With Mutiny Fallout

Russian pro-war nationalist and military blogger, Igor Girkin, claimed
on Saturday that Moscow is suffering a lack of crucial watercraft in the Kherson region in eastern Ukraine, calling the situation on the ground "critical."

Writing on Telegram, Girkin—a former Russian commander who is also known
as Igor Strelkov—said that Russian authorities in the occupied areas of
the Kherson region had started seizing private watercraft—boats and
other water vessels—this spring "for the needs of the security forces."

According to Girkin, this move was made necessary by a severe lack of watercraft, which wasn't solved by an attempted solution a year prior,
in spring 2022, when "a number of domestic manufacturers of special
boats and boats" offered to supply their products "to ensure the safety
of the waters of the Kherson region: both the Black Sea and the Dnieper [Russian name for Dnipro]."

Igor Girkin
Former Defense Minister of separatist "Donetsk People's Republic" and
Russian Federal Security Service officer Igor Girkin at a press
conference, September 27, 2022, in Moscow, Russia. Girkin has said
Russia lacks sufficient boats in the Dnipro river to defend the area. CONTRIBUTOR/GETTY IMAGES
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Girkin said that "some factories were ready to provide the first boats
for free. To no avail," though he doesn't clarify why the factories
didn't deliver the boats promised, or why their offer wasn't accepted by Russian authorities.

"Now the issue of providing units with watercraft is not just 'acute'.
It is critical: this work seems to have failed," Girkin said.

Despite his support for Russia' invasion of Ukraine, Girkin has become
more critical of the Russian military leadership and its approach to the conflict, going as far as recently declaring that Vladimir Putin was not
going to win the war.

While Russia maintains a large fleet in the area surrounding Ukraine's strategically located Snake Island, which was retaken during a Ukrainian counteroffensive in summer last year, Kyiv appears to have the upper
hand in the Dnipro river, as recently reported by CNN.

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Ukraine has developed its own fleet on the river, with old Soviet
equipment and civilian vessels modified for combat purposes and
additional vessels sent by the U.S. and other allies. According to the
U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. has contributed with "62 coastal
and riverine patrol boats" to Ukraine's fleet.

According to Girkin, Russia needs a "small fleet" of about 100 units to
defend the left bank of the Dnipro river, with boats with a length of 6
to 8 meters. "Such a boat should be fast, gliding, protected and be able
to be equipped with weapons on a modular basis. Such a boat can cost
from 50 to 100 million rubles," Girkin wrote. Fifty million rubles
equates to around $569,000.

Girkin is calling for an increase in watercraft materiel to allow
Russian forces "to control the water area, prevent enemy landings, and
also make our landing safer." He added: "Everything seems to be obvious, right?"

In a following post on Telegram, Girkin becomes critical of Russian
military equipment, saying that Moscow forces in the Kherson region "use ancient Soviet-built boats or unprepared fishing boats with old engines
and leaky sides, while other types of boats are bought with the troops'
own money or thanks to the help of volunteers."

According to Girkin, Russian forces are "actively" trying to reinforce
their "small fleets," ordering hundreds of watercraft "for billions of
rubles."

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william barker
1 day ago

Corruption is most likely the reason for absence of river boats.
Corruption was the motive for the Ukraine invasion, when the theft of
grain is considered. Why would Russian companies lose money giving
boats, to the regime, when there is nothing in it for them. The fact
that most of the Russian mi...

See more


Kim Morgado
1 day ago

If Italian life can be described as an extrovert operetta, for its turn Russia's must be a farcical and depressing pantomime...


Patrick Tang
1 day ago

"Girkin ........... other types of boats are bought with the troops' own
money ........"

lol, "It's for their own good. That's why we took their salary without
giving them a say. Trust me !"

Season 9 Lol GIF by The Office


Julio
1 day ago

Now the Russians do not have boats. What is the next excuse...


Dermon
1 day ago

A lack of watercraft is the least of Russia’s failures in this whole mess.


Bob Montgomery
1 day ago

Nice tidbit to know - I suppose.


Stephen Olwen
1 day ago

No Paddles either, On the river or in the Kremlin


noteventhere
1 day ago

how come this guy looks like he cheap cosplay's war-guy after furniture
class?


99%
4 hours ago

This is the part where Russian fingers start pointing at Russian
leadership.



James Daniel Carroll
1 day ago

I'd be worried about Ukraine blowing up the Nuclear Power Plant.


Michael Hamilton
16 hours ago

Ukraine has absolutely no intention . . . why would a country want to
irradiate a large area of its own country and turn it into a no-go zone.
I know it is hard but THINK !!

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