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The Ukrainian counter-offensive is progressing more slowly than the leadership in Kiev had hoped. But reports of success are increasing. Almost every day, Ukrainian troops report breakthroughs in the east and south of the country. At the center of Ukrainian forces: the Crimean Peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.
In recent days and weeks, Ukraine has successfully attacked key hubs – such as the headquarters of Russia’s Black Mer fleet in Sevastopol – in Crimea. Already at the beginning of the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (45) made it clear that the reconquest of Crimea was one of Ukraine’s main war goals.
So is this an attempt to bring Crimea back under the Ukrainian flag? “No,” says Austrian military expert Gerhard Mangott (57) in an interview with Blick. “The intensive attacks on Crimea are not aimed at the direct reconquest of Crimea, but rather at destroying key Russian logistics.”
In the military, these are called “rear operations,” Mangott explains. In this case that means: Ukraine is achieving successes far away from the actual front – and thus influencing events on that front. By shelling key logistics hubs in Crimea, Ukraine is preventing Russian troops on the southern front from receiving sufficient supplies.
This sabotage by Russian forces is currently of great importance for Ukraine because: “The counter-offensive is not very successful in terms of territorial conquest,” notes expert Mangott.
The reasons for this are diverse. The biggest obstacle: Russian forces have turned eastern Ukraine into a minefield. According to the Kiev government, the Russians mined 30 percent of the land by early September. In some cases, stretches of 16 kilometers are mined.
Neither soldiers (any step could mean certain death) nor military vehicles make rapid progress. The Russian army has set up defensive positions in Zaporizhia and Donetsk. Breaking this has also proven very difficult for the Ukrainian army.
As a result, the Ukrainian objectives for the counter-offensive have largely not been achieved, military expert Mangott draws the sobering conclusion. For example, Ukraine failed to recapture Melitopol or advance to the Sea of Azov.
Even more sobering: according to Mangott, Ukraine will no longer achieve these goals this year. Because winter is coming. “The muddy ground will make offensive operations difficult.” However, giving up is not an option for Ukraine. Keep fighting is the motto of the troops – even in autumn and winter. The military leadership in Kiev made this clear.
However, Mangott suspects that the counter-offensive will largely come to a standstill in the winter. But: “There will be a second Ukrainian offensive next spring.” And the expert is sure that this one will be more successful than the first.
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
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