Zelensky claims west-supplied artillery helped ‘break’ Moscow’s military offensive
Ukraine and the West have doubts about the Russian withdrawal from Kherson announced on Wednesday by Kremlin Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu after analyzing the difficulties faced by its troops, according to the report of the army’s commander-in-chief , General Sergei Surovikin. “The art of war involves the art of deceiving the enemy. We do not trust the words of Russia,” Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar claimed on Thursday. NATO also has doubts. The general secretary, Jens Stoltenberg, pointed out that , if the withdrawal is really confirmed, it would be “another victory for Ukraine”.
What is clear is that the Kiev army is gaining ground in the region that was the greatest success for Moscow almost from the beginning of the war. During the last day, Volodímir Zelensky’s troops regained control of twelve towns in Kherson, representing a total of 41 settlements since the last day 1. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Valeri Zaluzhni, explained that they have advanced seven kilometers in each of the directions, “liberating” areas in more than 200 square kilometers. “This progress is due to the courage of the Ukrainian soldiers,” Stoltenberg said.
“We are continuing the offensive operation according to our plan,” Zaluzhni emphasized, before emphasizing that Kiev “cannot confirm or deny the information about the Russian withdrawal”. In this sense he explained that «behind every so-called ‘goodwill gesture’ of the enemy hides colossal efforts of our troops. Just as the enemy withdrew from Kiev and Kharkov, leaving an island in Zmini, so the likely withdrawal from Kherson is the result of our active actions.”
In this way, the commander continued, the armed forces destroyed the logistical routes and support systems and “changed the control system of the invaders” so that “the enemy had no choice but to flee,” he settled. For its part, the ISW military analysis center deemed it unlikely that the withdrawal announcement was a Moscow maneuver and stated that it had recently identified “a constant withdrawal of Russian troops, military and economic resources and elements of the occupation” the eastern bank of the Dnieper.
This second withdrawal in two months — they withdrew first from the northeastern part of the country — could be due to a strategic decision to regroup their forces, Zelenski said, although “they are not prepared to leave the city” and suggested that the Kremlin plans to defend Kherson despite announcing the withdrawal. Russia, for its part, announced on Thursday the start of a series of “preparatory” military maneuvers on the western bank of the Dnieper.
On the other hand, the Ukrainian president stated that Moscow has lost “ten times” more soldiers than Kiev since the invasion began on February 24. How did this “so significant difference” come about? Zelensky underlined his refusal to treat the population as “cannon fodder”, which he believes explains the disparity in the number of victims. “When we ask our partners for artillery or armored vehicles, it is not only for weapons, but also to protect our army,” the political leader argued.
To achieve this goal, the contribution of the West has been crucial. Zelensky assured that the artillery supplied by the United States and European countries – Spain will send two additional ‘Hawk’ missile launchers to the four already delivered, as announced on Thursday by the Ministry of Defense – has helped its military to “deploy the army.” break” offensive Russian. And their efforts are not over yet. “We have a strategy and different directions,” the president argued in an interview with CNN, adding that Pentagon estimates that Russia has already lost 50% of its battle tanks “more or less match reality.”
Experts say Moscow could soon lose control of the Kakjovka Dam on the Dnieper River, which is strategically important to supply Crimea with water. In addition, they warn that Ukrainian forces from the recently recovered city of Kherson could even directly attack the peninsula annexed in 2014 with their long-range artillery.
Source: La Verdad
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