According to a New York Times report, Ukraine has intensified its counteroffensive against Russian forces by deploying thousands of troops that were previously held in reserve. The report states that Ukrainian officials have disclosed that the enlarged force will attempt to advance south towards the city of Tokmak and, if successful, on to Melitopol, near the coast. These soldiers have received training and equipment from Western allies of Ukraine.
Ukrainian forces claim that they are steadily pushing back Russian troops, although their progress has been slow and incremental, with no major breakthroughs. They have encountered obstacles such as minefields and faced withering artillery fire and airstrikes.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced that the Ukrainian army had launched a “massive” assault with three battalions supported by tanks. However, Russian forces were able to repel the attack and prevent Ukrainian units from breaching their defensive lines near the village of Orekhov in the Zaporozhye Region. The ministry reported that Ukraine lost 22 tanks, ten infantry fighting vehicles, and over 100 troops in the battle. Russian troops also repelled an attack on the village of Rabotinio and used airstrikes and artillery to retaliate against Ukrainian units near Malaya Tokmachka and Yablokovo. The ministry claims that Ukrainian forces have suffered significant casualties and losses of military hardware since the counteroffensive began.
The New York Times acknowledges that it was unable to verify the Russian reports about the outcome of the Ukrainian assaults but recognizes that “little has gone according to plan” during the counteroffensive.
Kiev’s objective is to push south towards the Black Sea and sever the land bridge to Crimea, a strategically important peninsula that Russia relies on as the base for its Black Sea fleet and a key supply hub for forces in Donbass. The Ukrainian operation, if successful, is estimated to take one to three weeks, according to Ukrainian officials who have shared this information with Washington. The White House and the Pentagon are said to be closely monitoring this increased activity. One senior official described it as a “big test.”
In conclusion, Ukraine has launched its main thrust of the counteroffensive by deploying reserve troops trained and equipped by its Western allies. While Ukrainian forces claim to be making progress, their advances have been slow and hindered by various obstacles. The Russian Defense Ministry has reported repelling Ukrainian assaults and inflicting significant losses on Ukrainian forces. The ultimate goal of the Ukrainian operation is to cut off Russia’s ground access to the Kherson Region by reaching the Black Sea or at least bringing the strategically important Crimea within artillery range. The United States is closely observing these developments.
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