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The tide in Ukraine has turned. While Ukrainian forces launched an offensive last year, today they are being forced onto the defensive. The Ukrainian counter-offensive in 2023 was not as successful as expected, now the Russians are taking the initiative.
The troops of Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin (71) are lurking. “What is happening now is what Russia has been preparing for a long time. “They have amassed enough troops and resources to put pressure on several axes simultaneously,” the Wall Street Journal quotes the deputy commander of Ukraine’s Third Assault Brigade, Maksim Zhorin.
The brigade has a good reputation and was involved in the defense of the city of Avdiivka, but was forced to withdraw last month. For Zhorin it is clear: a Russian spring offensive is coming.
Excavators dig trenches
Ukraine is now preparing for this. “After the inability of the Ukrainian armed forces to change the course of the front with its own offensive and conquer Russian-occupied territories, the country switched to the strategy of ‘active defense’,” says Austrian Russia expert Gerhard Mangott (57). to Blik. The plan: expand the defense lines to stop the Russians.
West of Avdiivka, excavators, more known for construction sites than battlefields, are digging trenches. The Ukrainians are trying to emulate the obstacles Russia put up more than a year ago to thwart last summer’s Ukrainian offensive. Elsewhere, soldiers have to dig trenches under fire, Zhorin says.
Started expanding the defense too late
The campaign to build an extensive network of fortifications has been underway since November. “We must be involved on all important fronts and accelerate the pace of construction,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (46) said at the time. “The priority is clear.”
For Mangott and other experts, one thing is clear: Ukraine started building a good defense too late. Lack of materials and personnel worsens the situation. This is especially clear at the front in the Donzek region, the Russia expert explains. Putin’s forces were able to capture the city of Avdiivka and advance further.
Ukraine is running out of time
When Ukrainian forces launched their offensive last summer, they quickly encountered a complex network of obstacles that Russia had been preparing for months. The main defense belt consisted of complex trenches and anti-tank trenches, concrete blocks and extensive minefields that were difficult to cross. Ukraine’s defense, on the other hand, is incomplete, a senior NATO representative claims in the Wall Street Journal report.
In recent weeks, Putin’s forces have made progress. They advance into eastern Ukraine and throw thousands of men into battle to push back the Ukrainian army. In doing so, they hardly give the Ukrainians time to build robust defense lines. With every Russian advance, they have to retreat to positions that are often inadequately prepared.
Strategic withdrawals are among the most difficult combat maneuvers. Fighting advancing enemies and at the same time securing your own positions is a challenge even for experienced soldiers. Ukraine doesn’t have enough of it. Many of the country’s best-trained troops have been killed in the past two years.
Can the Ukrainians stop Putin’s troops?
Mykola Bieliskov, an expert at the Ukrainian National Institute for Strategic Studies, does not expect a Russian spring offensive, but says: “They are laying the foundation for a major advance in the second half of this year.” The only hope for the fighters at the front is that they can hold the Russians at bay long enough to slow their advance. Just like the Russians managed to do last year.
But this requires urgent support from the West. Russia expert Mangott: “Ukraine mainly needs artillery shells, air defense systems and long-range missiles or cruise missiles.”
Mangott does not believe that Ukraine will go on the offensive again this year and try to conquer territory. “This year, Ukraine will most likely remain in a defensive position. Russia will step up its offensive operations this year, taking advantage of a severe supply shortage from the Ukrainian military.”
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.
