The Ministry of Defense announced the reflection of the “Solntsepekom” offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the area of Novodonetsk
The crew of the heavy flamethrower system TOS-1A “Solntsepek” repelled the offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (APU) in the Novodonetsk region of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). This was announced by the head of the press center of the group “Vostok” Oleg Chekhov.
According to him, the gunner-operator, Sergeant Viktor Petrunin, inflicted fire damage on the advancing forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. As a result, several dozen Ukrainian soldiers were destroyed, as well as two armored vehicles. “Having suffered losses, the enemy retreated, the positions of the Russian troops were held,” Chekhov said.
Forced counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Earlier, a military analyst, researcher at the Center for American Studies at IMEMO RAS, Ilya Kramnik, told Lente.ru that Kyiv’s counteroffensive could have begun due to political pressure from Western countries.
The whole question of duration is probably determined by the level of losses that the Ukrainian command is ready to afford.
In turn, The Washington Post found that Kyiv could not delay the counteroffensive, as it needed to make progress before the onset of winter and demonstrate to the West “major successes on the battlefield” indicating that Ukraine is capable of resisting Russia. At the same time, Ukrainian officials acknowledged that offensive actions would entail a large number of casualties and loss of equipment. In addition, they explained that the lack of Western aviation and long-range artillery creates problems for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
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The New York Times pointed out that the losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in manpower and equipment may be too great. The publication cited the opinion of Rob Lee, a senior researcher at the Institute for Foreign Policy Studies, who saw the Russian military’s plan to “attack Ukrainian troops and pull back without suffering heavy losses themselves.” Thus, the Russian command plans to deplete the forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine even before they reach the main line of defense.
“Steel wall” of Russian defense
The counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine ran into a steel wall and turned into a bloodbath. This opinion was expressed on Twitter by retired US Army Colonel, Vietnam War veteran Dick Black. “Seven thousand dead, 160 tanks and 360 armored personnel carriers destroyed in just one week without much results. Charred Leopard tanks and Bradley infantry fighting vehicles are everywhere. To demand from Ukraine that it “fight for as long as it takes” is inhuman,” he said.
Military political scientist, Associate Professor of the Department of Political Analysis of the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics Alexander Perendzhiev, in an interview with Lenta.ru, indicated that Kiev is trying to smooth out its military failures. In particular, the expert drew attention to the statement of the adviser to the head of the office of the President of Ukraine Mikhail Podolyak that in fact the counteroffensive had not yet begun. “This is a political ploy aimed primarily at the internal user,” he explained.
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President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are facing very stiff resistance from Russian forces during attempts to counteroffensive. “We are losing time, we are losing people, and most importantly, we are losing our edge,” he said.
The Ukrainian military themselves complain about the difficult conditions in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the decline in morale. Speaking to the Toronto Star, Artem Baulin, 25, said he was concerned about the lack of leadership of some officers. “I want to transfer to another brigade because we have a very, very big problem with our commanders,” he said. In addition, Baulin noted that untrained soldiers without the necessary weapons are often sent into the attack.
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