Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky fears that the planned counter-offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) will fail. The newspaper wrote about it Financial Times 20 April.
The publication notes that even in winter large-scale mobilization began in Ukraine, however, the Kiev leadership is concerned that the drafted recruits will not be enough to carry out the offensive.
“The government expects about 40,000 soldiers to join their ranks. <…> But officials fear that this will not be enough,” write the authors of the article.
Because of this, Ukrainian authorities approved new draft rules earlier this month, allowing recruiting centers to send draft lists anywhere in the country. Previously, they could only be given to men between the ages of 18 and 60 at their registered addresses, but tracing them has proved difficult due to the massive internal migration caused by the conflict.
The country’s leadership is concerned that a counteroffensive that fails or fails to retake much of the territory could encourage Western allies to push Kiev into negotiations with Moscow, according to senior officials in Kiev.
On April 22, Oleg Soskin, a former adviser to President Leonid Kuchma, said that problems awaited the President of Ukraine if the counteroffensive failed. According to him, in connection with the forcing of a very difficult political, economic, financial, social and religious situation in Ukraine, the last thing that keeps the population from an internal explosion is the hope for an offensive. At the same time, the ex-adviser noted that, judging by the sources, Ukraine does not have the opportunity to carry out this offensive – Western supplies are not enough to confront the Russian Armed Forces.
Prior to this, on April 16, The Washington Post pointed out that US officials acknowledge the fact that the Armed Forces do not have enough ammunition for a successful counteroffensive. It is impossible without additional supplies of artillery and tanks from Western countries, the material noted.
On the alleged offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which should begin in May, on March 15, the American newspaper Politico reported.
Moscow has repeatedly condemned the supply of arms to Ukraine. So, in January, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that a new round of supplies to Ukraine of more advanced military equipment could “only drag out the whole story.”
Russia continues a special operation to protect the Donbass, whose residents refused to recognize the results of the 2014 coup d’état in Ukraine. The decision to start it was made on February 24, 2022 against the background of the aggravation of the situation in the region due to shelling by Ukrainian troops.
#West #called #main #fear #Zelensky #failure #planned #offensive #Armed #Forces #Ukraine