Expert Analysis – Attacks in Ukraine: What Success Now Depends on

Date:

Not only in the south, but also in the east of the country, Ukrainian forces have launched a counter-offensive – and surprisingly achieved a breakthrough in some places. Expert Colonel Markus Reisner, commander of the Garde in Vienna since September 1, analyzes what is now needed to maintain the momentum of the offensive.

The Ukrainians’ actual, long-heralded counter-offensive is currently underway in the south of the country, but the Russians have also had increasing difficulties over the past two days holding onto their captured territories in the east south of the city of Kharkov. .

Make your way to Izyum
According to several reports, Russian troops were surprised by the advance of Ukrainian troops during fighting around the town of Balaklija and the road to Kupyansk was also blocked. The city of Balaklija, with a population of 27,000, is located between the disputed city of Kharkov and Russian-occupied Ijum. There is an important railway hub for Russian supplies.

Partly advanced 30 km
“You can certainly speak of a Ukrainian ‘breakthrough’ here, as it led more than 15 kilometers deep into the Russian-occupied territory,” explains Colonel Markus Reisner, military expert of the Austrian Armed Forces. According to Russian sources, Ukraine would have gained more than 30 kilometers of territory within 24 hours.

But what determines whether the Ukrainians’ current push in the east of their country will be successful in the long run? traveler lists seven factors:

  1. The Ukrainians use one for their advance panzerspitzeconsisting of at least 15 main battle tanks. These should not lose momentum, get stuck or get crushed.
  2. Continued support from own artillery or air force or drones should remain guaranteed. Artillery in particular can become a problem if the spearhead moves too far away from your own howitzers too quickly.
  3. Die To the side along the advance must be secured, especially to the north.
  4. nesting of resistance of the Russians must be eliminated as a threat to maintain the momentum of the advance
  5. Can the Ukrainians do enough? reserves muster to keep the push alive?
  6. There should be a solid line along the major axis of the advance deliver andcommunication line: grant.
  7. And last but not least, Ukraine must succeed in ramping up the offensive propaganda purposes to use. To boost the troops’ own morale, but also to send a signal to the West: your weapons deliveries are working.

signal to the west
The last point seems particularly important to the Kiev leadership, as the timing of the advance in the Kharkiv region was no accident: on Thursday, at the US air base in Ramstein, Germany, defense ministers and senior military officials from more than 50 countries will discuss further support for Ukraine. According to observers, the leadership in Kiev wants to use its advance in the south and east to show donor countries that Western military aid is having an effect. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is also expected in Ramstein and a representative of the Austrian Ministry of Defense is present as an observer.

“Good news from Kharkiv”
However, the Kiev government still keeps a low profile on individual ground operations, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed his armed forces’ counter-offensive in the east of the country on Wednesday evening, but this week there was “good news from the Kharkiv region.” “But now is not the time to give a name to this or that settlement to which the Ukrainian flag will return,” the head of state said.

He listed three army brigades that had distinguished themselves. He also thanked two brigades involved in the attack in southern Ukraine in the Kherson region. “Any success of our military in one direction or another changes the situation along the entire front in favor of Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said.

Source: Krone

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Share post:

Subscribe

Popular

More like this
Related