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Ukraine Not only is he fighting against the strong defenses built by the Russians on the war front, but now he is also fighting against time. This was warned this weekend by the highest-ranking military chief of the United States, General Mark Milleywho noted that Kiev only has up to six weeks left before the cold makes its counteroffensive difficult.
“There is still a reasonable amount of time left, between 30 and 45 days of fighting,” declared Milley to the BBC. He added that from then on, Mud and rain will likely affect ground maneuvers on the battlefield.
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He head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff admitted that the Ukrainian offensive It is slower than expected. But he said “there is still intense fighting.”
“Ukrainians are still moving forward firmly”, he indicated.
At the interview, Milley maintained that It is too early to say whether the counteroffensive had failed.
“The Ukrainians are not done, this battle is not over, and they are not done with the combat part of what they are trying to achieve. “It’s too early to say how this will end,” he emphasized.
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Ukraine launched the counteroffensive at the beginning of last June, once summer arrived, with the aim of liberating the territory occupied by Russia.
For the current counteroffensive Ukraine began to use the weapons sent by West last winter, like the German tanks Leopardthe missile defense system Patriot or British missiles Storm Shadow. However, so far he has only made small progress.
For Ukraine It was essential to have air coverage for the current counteroffensivefor this reason he asked USA authorizing the delivery of F-16 fighter jets, something that Washington opposed at first, but only authorized in August. However, these fighters will not reach Ukrainian territory in the short term.
In an interview with CNN, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky admitted the slowdown of the counteroffensive. He said it is due to Russia’s air superiority and slow delivery of Western weapons.
”Some things are on the way. “Many people say the counteroffensive is too slow, but some things are on the way,” he insisted.
Zelensky He assured that he will speak again with the United States about the need for the supply of ATACMS long-range missileswhich he hopes to receive this fall.
”This is not a movie that lasts an hour and a half. (…) There will be no ‘happy ending’. “We have lost a lot of people.”stated the president.
According to a CNN report, reports this Sunday indicated only gradual progress around one of the main attack zones of Ukrainenear the town of Robotynein the region of Zaporizhiawhich is on the way to the strategic city of Tokmak.
The Deputy Minister of Defense of UkraineHanna Maliar, announced on Monday that the ukrainian counteroffensive managed to recover 4.8 kilometers of territory in the southwest of Donetsk and the neighbor Zaporizhia.
He added that In total, 256.5 kilometers have been liberated since Ukraine began its counteroffensive.
In short, the current situation of the war is on the one hand with Ukraine without being able to carry out a powerful counteroffensive that would lead them to quickly recover the peninsula of CrimeaAs the president had announced Zelensky before June. On the other hand, with Russia defending the territory it achieved since the beginning of the invasion in February 2022, but far from the overwhelming victory it predicted when Vladimir Putin He launched what he called a “special operation.”
Last year, the forces of Putin They advanced rapidly on the north of Ukraine and even the surroundings of Kyiv with the aim of having the capital of Ukraine fall in a matter of days. But they failed in this last purpose and had to retreat. Then, Ukraine He began to have important victories in the Kharkov region, to the east, and in the Kherson region, to the south.
This year the fighting is focused on the south and east of Ukrainewhere kyiv forces fight to break the defensive lines that Russia prepared during the winter months. As CNN notes, Ukrainian success these days is measured in capturing a town, a hamlet, rather than an entire city.
Thus, on the southern front the fighting takes place in the region of Zaporizhiawhere Ukraine Modest progress has been made in rural areas. This is because they have encountered strong Russian defenses set up with minefields, anti-tank ditches, traps called dragon’s teeth and trenches.
Why is the area important for Ukraine and Russia? According to CNN, by breaking this line of defense kyiv could neutralize the Russian land bridge between annexed Crimea and eastern Donetskunder Moscow control since 2014.
The most resounding victory of Ukraine on this war front occurred at the end of August, when his troops took the village of Robotynesomething that brings them closer to being able to use artillery against strategic Tokmaka city in the south of Zaporizhia which fell into the hands of the Russians at the beginning of the invasion.
CNN also indicates that Ukraine regained ground near the city of Velyka Novosilkalocated on the front line.
While in June, in the second week of the counteroffensive, he had liberated towns like Neskuchne, Blahodatne and Makarivka.
More recently, it recaptured a couple more towns, Staromaiorske and Urozhainand.
All these advances have occurred in the midst of numerous Russian counterattackswhich have had a high cost, both human and war material, for the Ukrainians.
For example, the city of Orikhiv It is under Ukrainian control, but is bombed by Russian aviation with half-ton bombs that fall frequently, sometimes 20 in a few minutes, according to CNN.
Orikhiv It is 60 kilometers southeast of Zaporizhiaand was caught in the middle of disputes between Ukrainian troops advancing south and Russian forces trying to maintain their position.
Another place where there is fighting is Kupianskin the region of Kharkov. This city fell into the hands of the Russians at the beginning of the invasion, but in September of last year it was liberated by Ukraine and today Russia tries to capture her again.
The city and its surroundings have been evacuated.
Kupiansk is important for Ukraine Because under its control it prevents Russia from accessing the nearby Oskil River, where it is much easier to cross than further south, CNN says.
As for the eastern war front, the coveted city of Bakhmut remains under Russian control after the Wagner Group I will conquer it this year after a tough nine month battle and then left it in the hands of the regular Russian troops. Ukraine only controls some peripheral areas southwest of this city.
CNN highlights that a large part of the regions of Donetsk and Lugansk They are in the hands of separatists who have been supported by Russia for more than nine years.
Ukraine has control of the city of Avdiivkain Donetsk. The place is on the front line of intense fighting and is almost completely destroyed.
The worst of winter in Ukraine It occurs between the months of December and March. So, there is still time to continue fighting. Even beyond what the general has predicted Milley.
For example, last year Ukrainian forces achieved their most resounding victory by reconquering Kherson on November 11.
This Saturday, when the head of military intelligence of UkraineLieutenant General Kyrylo Budanovon the impact of the weather on the counteroffensive, said that “The fighting will continue in one form or another.”
The soldier acknowledged that it was more difficult to fight in a cold and humid climate, but assured that it was a question of adaptation, not of stopping, according to the BBC.
Wheeled vehicles, he added, have more problems in wet climates than tracked vehicles, such as tanks.
He also admitted that In most cases, the counteroffensive is carried out on footthis is due to extensive Russian anti-tank defenses and the kamikaze drones that Moscow launches on tanks and other heavy vehicles.
Source: Elcomercio
I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.
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