The military command does not hide the fact that the most difficult battle for Bakhmut gives the Ukrainian army time to prepare forces for a counteroffensive. Thousands of soldiers are being trained on Western tanks and armored vehicles. Focus has collected everything that is known about preparing for a breakthrough: how Ukraine is preparing offensive actions.
The Ukrainian command and political leaders do not hide the fact that Ukraine is preparing for a counteroffensive in the coming months, and the battles for Bakhmut allow us to buy time to prepare new forces. Focus collected everything that is known about the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine – what they say in command
The fiercest battles along the entire front line have been concentrated in the Bakhmut area for several months. Due to the wide media attention to the direction in the command of the Ukrainian army, they say that the defense of Bakhmut allows Ukraine to accumulate reserves and prepare for a counteroffensive.
Everyone in the top military leadership, Supreme Commander-in-Chief Volodymyr Zelensky, Commander-in-Chief General Valery Zaluzhny, Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces Colonel-General Alexander Syrsky and Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate Major-General Kirill Budanov are talking about the upcoming offensive operations. The battle for Bakhmut makes it possible to pin down Russian forces in one direction, destroy the most combat-ready units and prevent another city in the Donetsk region from being turned into scorched earth.
“Now a defensive operation is taking place there. And the main task is to contain the enemy, inflicting enormous losses on him. This is a harbinger of future actions that the entire Ukrainian society expects,” said Colonel Serhiy Cherevaty, speaker of the Eastern Group of Forces, about the importance of defending Bakhmut.
Now in NATO countries, thousands of Ukrainian soldiers are being trained on modern technology. Soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are mastering Stryker armored personnel carriers, M2 Bradley, Marder, CV90 infantry fighting vehicles, Leopard 2A4 and Leopard 2A6 tanks, British Challenger 2. In addition, partners are transferring artillery and ammunition to Ukraine. Assault brigades are also formed in the structure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine sometimes publish videos from the training grounds where they practice work in formations for conducting combined arms operations.
Tankers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine completed training on the Spanish Leoparf 2A4
All these forces will form an armored fist, which should allow the Armed Forces of Ukraine to launch a counteroffensive in one of the directions. Also important for this is the presence of mine-clearing engineering vehicles and bridge layers, without which it will be difficult to break through the enemy ranks. Western partners will also provide such equipment.
Valery Zaluzhny is in constant contact with the commanders of other countries
Photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Valery Zaluzhny, has held meetings and telephone conversations with a number of commanders over the past 10 days:
General Mark Milley, Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States; General Christopher Cavoli, Supreme Commander of the Joint NATO Armed Forces in Europe – Commander of the United States Armed Forces in Europe; Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, Chief of the British Defense Staff; General Raimund Andrzejczak, Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces; Chief of the Joint Staff of the French Armed Forces General of the Army Thierry Burcar.
They discussed the state of affairs at the front, as well as the need to strengthen the Ukrainian army with weapons, ammunition and air defense systems.
The forecast of the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Kirill Budanov remains – Ukraine has every chance to win in 2023.
“God willing, we have every chance of ending the war with our victory with the return of all our borders of the 1991 model. These are my thoughts and assessments. I don’t leave them anywhere,” Budanov said in an interview for Ukrayinska Pravda.
Counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine – US assessment
On March 16, Politico wrote that the United States has accelerated the supply of weapons and ammunition in anticipation of the upcoming counteroffensive. According to Pentagon estimates, as they say in the publication, Ukraine’s counteroffensive will begin at the end of May.
“We must deliver on our promised commitments quickly and in full,” Austin said. “This includes getting our armored vehicles to the battlefield and ensuring that Ukrainian soldiers receive the training, parts and maintenance they need to use as soon as possible. new systems.”
Millie believes that the APU is trained to bring the war to a successful conclusion
It is worth noting that the commander of the Joint Staff, General Mark Milli, has changed the communication about the victory of Ukraine. On January 20, after the next meeting in the Ramstein format, the general said that the complete victory of Ukraine in 2023 is “a very, very difficult task.”
On March 15, after yet another Ramstein meeting, Milley stated that the Ukrainian troops were trained and strong enough to win.
“The increased Ukrainian potential will allow the Ukrainian leadership to develop and implement many options in the future to achieve their goals and bring this war to a successful conclusion,” said Mark Milley.
The offensive of Ukraine – possible directions of attack of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
The Ukrainian General Staff does not disclose plans for its offensive, so the issue is being commented on in the Office of the President, numerous media outlets and analysts suggest several options for events. Politico on March 15, citing Pentagon officials, identified two options for Ukraine’s offensive:
through Kherson towards the Crimea, moving from north to east, and then to the south
It is noted at the same time that the Pentagon considers the second option more likely. The first option is expensive and practically unrealistic. It is necessary to conduct a landing operation on the left bank of the Dnieper, which the RF Armed Forces have significantly strengthened.
On March 10, Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the head of the Presidential Administration, said that the Ukrainian army was preparing a counteroffensive in the next two months.
Podolyak announces counteroffensive in the next 2 months
Photo: Getty Images
“We need long-range missiles. We need to increase the supply of heavy artillery shells of 155 mm caliber,” Podolyak stressed.
At the same time, it should be noted that, in anticipation of the offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Melitopol, Russian troops are actively building fortifications around the city.
The invaders made the most fortifications on the outskirts of Melitopol /
On March 3, The Economist wrote that “the flow of weapons has turned from a stream into a river,” so Ukraine is preparing an offensive. Of all Pentagon military aid for 2023, 40%—more than $8 billion—came in the three months from December 9, 2022. A third of the Ukrainian army will soon have exclusively Western-style weapons.
Counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine – forecasts of Western analysts
The former commander of US forces in Europe, General Ben Hodges, said that the Armed Forces of Ukraine can liberate Crimea. To do this, you need to strike at the objects of the Russian Federation in the rear of the Russian troops. The peninsula can be made unsuitable for Russian invaders.
“Skeptics suggest that this (de-occupation of the peninsula – ed.) will require a costly large-scale attack by ground forces, but the priority is to first make Crimea unsuitable for Russia. Special operations forces and other units will contribute to this,” wrote Hodges.
The scenario for the liberation of the Crimea according to the proposals of Ben Hodges
Former Italian military and analyst Thomas Teiner also gave his forecast for the Ukrainian counteroffensive. He considered the scenario of the battle in the south of Ukraine. He notes that if there is enough military assistance, it will not be difficult to overcome the Russian defense lines. With the presence of engineering vehicles, the cover of Patriot air defense systems, hundreds of UAVs and missiles with ammunition, it will be possible to make a breach in several places of defense. This will be enough for the passage of mechanized units with infantry.
Offensive options for the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Teiner believes that Melitopol and Mariupol will be the main goal for Ukraine in the south, and the Perekop Isthmus will be a secondary goal in order to cut off the Russian Armed Forces from Crimea. Subject to the presence of 9 mechanized, 3 artillery, 2 engineering brigades and forces to cover the rear of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, it is necessary to attack Mariupol-Kamyanka-Amrosievka. After that, you should move to Melitopol. However, in his opinion, the available Western assistance is not enough to carry out such an operation. Need more ammo.
Important
We are planning a counterattack. What Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny is talking about with NATO generals
