- ‘This is the big test’: U.S. officials describe a new Ukrainian effort to sever Russia’s hold on the south.
- U.S. officials describe a 3-point rationale for Ukraine’s new push.
Archive.is mirror:
My heart aches for all of the suffering they are about to go though. Attacking fortified, mined positions without air power is terrible. Each centimeter is paid for in blood.
At least they have a choice. The people living under russian occupation suffering every day and it won’t get better for them until they get liberated.
Wow, it’s happening. I hope the Ukrainians get a big breakthrough and drive the Russians out of their land soon.
Ukraine has been bleeding Russian artillery hard over the last month or two. And with the recent Crimean bridge attack and Russia massing their men in the north-east, it’s possible they believe Russia is sufficiently soft in the south.
So what’s the 3-point rationale? I clicked on " read more" where it was about to mention te reasons, but it didn’t open for me.
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss Ukraine’s war plans, cited three reasons:
Recent advances: For more than seven weeks, Ukrainian troops have fought along three main fronts across several hundred miles in the country’s east and southeast, pressing to find a weak spot in the heavily dug-in Russian defenses to burst through. They have been making plodding but steady progress clearing a path through dense Russian minefields and other fortifications.
Russian turmoil: Ukrainian forces sensed an opportunity with the sacking of the regional Russian commander, Maj. Gen. Ivan Popov, to exploit turmoil in the local Russian leadership. Last month, General Popov addressed his troops in a four-minute recording, accusing his superiors of inflicting a blow on his forces by removing him from his post in retaliation for voicing the truth about battlefield problems to senior leadership behind closed doors.
Potential Russian vulnerabilities: Ukrainian artillery barrages have been steadily attacking Russian artillery, ammunition depots and command posts in areas well behind the front lines, creating a vulnerability to exploit if advancing Ukrainian forces can punch through the Russian defenses, and cause havoc in the rear. “The Russians are stretched,” a Western official said on Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss operational details and intelligence assessments. “They are still experiencing problems with logistics, supply, personnel and weapons. They’re feeling the pressure.”
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Gotta love the thumb nail.
