Story by Le Figaro's special correspondent

• Special envoy to the Kherson region

It is a terrible battle, and we do not know whether to judge it as sublime or absurd. For nearly eight months, out of sight, Ukrainian naval forces have been taking turns defending a fragile bridgehead established in the village of Krynki, on the eastern bank of the Dnieper River. Almost every day, small assault groups crossed the river under a deluge of shells with the goal of eliminating enemy forces and resupplying their beleaguered comrades. Rare soldiers who witnessed these operations describe the Danteski struggle. In the absence of an official report, they realize that the Ukrainian army is suffering heavy losses, but they stress that it is also dealing strong blows to the Russian units responsible for containing them.

On the west bank, about thirty kilometers from Kherson, Captain Bogdan and his men set up their command post in a bunker reinforced with thick concrete beams. Precaution is not unnecessary. tonight…