A secretive SEAL-like unit is leading Ukraine's shadowy battle against Russia in a vital corner of the country

• A quiet but intense battle is raging near Kherson, which Ukraine recaptured from Russia last year.
• The fight is happening along the Dnipro River, which divides Ukrainian and Russian-held territory.

Although Bakhmut and the fighting in the Donbas dominate the headlines, there has been intense but disjointed fighting around the city of Kherson in southern Ukraine.

In November, the liberation of the western bank of the Kherson Oblast and of the provincial capital, Kherson City, brought the Ukrainian military within range of the Russian positions across the river. Now the two sides are fighting a deadly battle in the islands, marshes, and inlets of the Dnipro delta.

For Ukraine, the 73rd Naval Center of Special Operations, a secretive SEAL-like unit, is leading the shadowy battle against Russia.

Ukrainian Navy SEALs

For months now, Ukrainian special-operations forces, including frogmen of the 73rd Naval Center of Special Operations, have been conducting riverine raids against Russian positions along the Dnipro River.

In January, for example, frogmen from the unit raided the eastern bank and took out a Russian command-and-control post. Using drones and gunboats, the Ukrainian frogmen attacked the Russians and destroyed the position before slipping away in the night.

Frogmen from the unit have also been conducting reconnaissance missions on the Kinburn Spit, a finger-like strip of land that stretches into the Black Sea where it meets the Dnipro River, south of the Dniprovska Gulf. Outposts there give Russian forces a vantage point from which to track and attack ships in the river as well as launch strikes on Ukrainian cities and ports.

Ukrainian raids help wear down those forces, but they are not simple.

"Riverine operations require a lot of coordination between the raiding and supporting elements. When you put together a bunch of heavily armed guys in the middle of the night, there is plenty of opportunity for something to go wrong," a former Navy SEAL officer told Insider.

"The guys on the ground depend on the firepower of the boat guys. But the overall commander must synchronize the two elements to prevent a friendly-fire incident," added the former SEAL, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of ongoing work with the US government.

"That being said, a properly planned riverine raid is hard to defend against," the former SEAL officer said.

Special operators from the 73rd Naval Center of Special Operations were also among the first Ukrainian troops on the famous Snake Island after Russian forces evacuated it.

A small island on the Black Sea, Snake Island had been contested for months before the Ukrainians finally liberated it in July. Combat swimmers with the unit reportedly approached the island in underwater vehicles, looking for mines or obstacles that could hinder the landing forces.

The 73rd Naval Center of Special Operations was based on the Soviet-era 17th Naval Special Purpose Brigade. Set up as a training unit, it has become known for its small-boat raids and reconnaissance missions conducted behind Russian lines along the Dnipro River.

The unit is structured on roughly the same lines as a US Navy SEAL Team and is headquartered in the Mykolaiv Oblast, just west of Kherson Oblast. It comprises four sections, one dedicated to underwater demolitions, one to clearance divers, one to reconnaissance, and one to logistical support. The unit likely has a few dozen special operators.

The 73rd Naval Center of Special Operations could play a significant role in future large-scale fighting. If Ukraine's military launches major attacks in the south, the eastern bank of the Kherson would be a likely target, but getting there would require moving troops and vehicles by boat.

To do that, the 73rd Naval Center of Special Operations would likely be sent in first to scout beaches, clear obstacles, and secure beachheads — or to divert Russian attention with raids elsewhere.

Starting from scratch

Like the 73rd Naval Center of Special Operations, most of the Ukrainian military emerged from the Soviet military. By 2014, when Russia attacked Ukraine and seized Crimea, the Ukrainian military's training, tactics, and weapons were still much like that Soviet force.

Ukrainian forces were caught off-guard and hard-pressed to deal with the crisis in 2014. Since then, Kyiv has sought to improve its military training and upgrade its hardware, working with Western countries to do so.

Ukrainian special operators also had to work hard to achieve the level of professionalism and proficiency they now display on the battlefield. With extensive Western support, Ukraine's special-operations community has come a long way over the past decade.

Ukrainian commandos are now proficient in small-unit tactics and understand the vital importance of proper mission planning. Another crucial difference is their ability to take the initiative on the battlefield.

Under the Soviet model, there was no corps of non-commissioned officers — experienced enlisted troops who often lead small units — leaving frontline troops dependent on higher-level officers for guidance. Russia's performance in Ukraine has shown the weakness of that model.

Western-trained and battle-hardened, Ukrainian special operators are a force to be reckoned with, as Russians in the islands and marshes of the Dnipro River are learning.

Stavros Atlamazoglou is a defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate. He is working toward a master's degree in strategy and cybersecurity at Johns Hopkins' School of Advanced International Studies.