"Where is this Dnipro River ?"

Its quite close to the Dnieper River which in turn is fed by the Dnepr River which has its head-waters in the Dynapro River.

"Your cherry-picking of reports ignores that Russia has failed to dislodge Ukrainian fighters in Krynky often suffering massive casualties themselves from artillery and drones on the heights on the west bank of the river."

I'm not sure they are too concerned about it.
It's a fire-bag, Ukraine just keeps feeding men into the meat grinder and achieving nothing.
The Ukrainian soldiers there are almost in total revolt.
They know they're just being used as cannon fodder, so that Zelensky can show the west it's made some gains, and get more weapons and funding.

"Over the last few months, it has been Russia desperately trying to storm Avdivka, Kupiansk etc throwing 1000s of men and armour against entrenched Ukrainian positions."

Kupiansk is important as a demoralising factor.
It takes away the gains they made in their counteroffensive last year, even though Russians withdrew because they were overstretched.
Andreevka is important because it's from this town that Ukraine has been attacking Donetsk City since 2014 targeting civilians.

"Germany's support for Ukraine is to be 'massively expanded' next year"
- Hungary is blocking further Ukrainian aid.

Germany and the EU have committed economic suicide.
German leaders should be hanged in the public square for what they have done to the country to please the US.
And money does not equal instant weapons.
Europe can't even supply the 1 million artillery shells it already promised.

http://www.politico.eu/article/arms-makers-cant-drop-exports-to-meet-ukraine-ammo-target-says-defense-agency-chief/

"Foreign Minister Annalena Bareback"
- About all she'd be useful for...

Ukraine's haddit.
They're not going to breach Russian defensive lines and recapture any more territory, but they will lose more men and territory the longer they mess around.
This whole war is the fault of US foreign policy.

Is Ukraine really a part of US National Security interests?
- No, not unless the US plans on conquering the whole world.

Ukraine’s army is struggling to find good recruits
http://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/ukraine-s-army-is-struggling-to-find-good-recruits-20231218-p5es3r.html

>>Army chiefs are struggling to fill places with the willing; some are resorting to conscription raids on gyms and shopping centres. Few of those who are signed up this way make good soldiers.

“We’re seeing 45- to 47-year-olds,” one senior officer complains. “They are out of breath by the time they reach the front line.”<<

Fyi, the average age of a Ukrainian soldier is 43.

>>...The task is to convince potential recruits. 'Conductor', one of the men deployed to the ill-fated unit in the Donbas, says he is committed to serving his country, “but only in a way that can be useful”.

In the meantime, he is occupied '24/7' in securing a transfer away from the assault forces. “You can’t just write people’s lives off like this,” he says.<<

Is this war about the Ukrainian people?
- American policy makers say they'll fight to the last Ukrainian!
Or is it about conquest, and good old-fashioned robbery?

Are you supporting the Ukrainians dying?
Or are you supporting Western bankers?

War and Theft: The Takeover of Ukraine’s Agricultural Land
http://www.oaklandinstitute.org/war-theft-takeover-ukraine-agricultural-land

The total amount of land controlled by oligarchs, corrupt individuals, and large agribusinesses is over nine million hectares — exceeding 28 percent of Ukraine’s arable land. The largest landholders are a mix of Ukrainian oligarchs and foreign interests — mostly European and North American as well as the sovereign fund of Saudi Arabia. Prominent US pension funds, foundations, and university endowments are invested through NCH Capital, a US-based private equity fund.

Several agribusinesses, still largely controlled by oligarchs, have opened up to Western banks and investment funds — including prominent ones such as Kopernik, BNP, or Vanguard — who now control part of their shares. Most of the large landholders are substantially indebted to Western funds and institutions, notably the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the World Bank.

Western financing to Ukraine in recent years has been tied to a drastic structural adjustment program that has required austerity and privatization measures, including the creation of a land market for the sale of agricultural land. President Zelenskyy put the land reform into law in 2020 against the will of the vast majority of the population who feared it would exacerbate corruption and reinforce control by powerful interests in the agricultural sector. Findings of the report concur with these concerns. While large landholders are securing massive financing from Western financial institutions, Ukrainian farmers — essential for ensuring domestic food supply — receive virtually no support. With the land market in place, amidst high economic stress and war, this difference of treatment will lead to more land consolidation by large agribusinesses.

The report also sounds the alarm that Ukraine’s crippling debt is being used as a leverage by the financial institutions to drive post-war reconstruction towards further privatization and liberalization reforms in several sectors, including agriculture."

"Is this war about the Ukrainian people?"

No...its about the desire of the backward looking Russia rulers trying to re-establish Russia hegemony over eastern Europe. They've failed... although some haven't noticed.

mhaze,
This war has nothing to do with Russia's actions and everything the do with hostile US actions against other nations.

Putin doesn't need the land, he wants security.
Every hundred years or so someone attacks Russia.
The Mongols, the French, The Germans, The Americans.

They are not giving up Crimea or willing to lose access to the Black Sea.
Sevastopol will not be a NATO naval base.
They do not want US nukes right on their doorstep.

Putin said he wasn't going to cop it in 2008.
This is the Wests fault for their unrelenting push to expand NATO.
As well as the meddling in other nations internal affairs, including coups.

It's not democracy when you impose your will on another nation.
That's making them a conquered vassal state, whom at the direction of the US, forced an end to negotiations in April 2022, lied and claimed Russia lost the 'Seige of Kiev' when Russia's only plan was to force Ukraine into negotiations and they left Kiev as a show of goodwill after initial documents were signed.

The West wouldn't allow this, claiming it might 'embolden China' forced a continuation of the war leading to half a million Ukrainians dead and another million wounded.

Lloyd Austin stated 'We're doing this to harm Russia'
Stoltenberg stated 'This is all about NATO expansion'
And people like Lindsay Graham said 'We will fight to the last Ukrainian, and isn't it great we are creating US jobs'.
Merkel, Hollande and Poroshenko said 'Minsk agreements were to buy time to build up Ukrainian military'

The West are liars and thieves willing to get anyone killed so long as they have their way.
Ukraine will be lucky if it lasts another few months.
The US couldn't beat Iran, let alone Russia.