However, Ukraine’s counter-offensive action has been successful in the Black Sea, which can be considered a surprise. You can listen to the Ukraina-studio podcast in the HS application by selecting Listen–Podcasts–Ukraina-studio from the menu, and in addition, for example, in the Spotify service.
Ukrainian the months-long counterattack doesn’t seem to have achieved its goals, and its culmination has already been seen at this stage. This is the opinion of Helsingin Sanomat’s fact checker, Ukraine expert John Helin in HS’s Ukraine studio.
“After the beginning of September, more movement in the direction of Robotyne [Zaporižžjan alueella Etelä-Ukrainassa] has not happened. “Ukraine has not been able to get mechanized troops to work together in such a way that some kind of breakthrough would have been achieved,” he says.
Also, according to Helin, supporting ground attacks with, for example, air-to-ground missiles has not seemed to have worked very well.
The Russians have also succeeded in their defensive battles and prevented the large-scale advance of Ukraine.
“At this point, we have to start talking about the fact that the counterattack has failed and it has not achieved the goals set for it. Not even the mini-goals that the Ukrainians themselves publicly set, for example the achievement of the city of Tokmak.”
Ukrainians however, have achieved success in at least one area in particular: the Black Sea. What is significant here is that Ukraine has practically no navy at all.
“[Ukraina] has succeeded in narrowing Russia’s operational possibilities in the Black Sea significantly. It has struck Sevastopol several times and caused losses to the Russian Black Sea Fleet and was able to practically drive it away from the western Black Sea.”
While the Kiev ground counterattack is ending, the Russians have continued to blockade the city of Avdijivka. To support their attacks, the Russian forces have used, for example, of The Kyiv Independent along with dozens of tanks and other heavy equipment.
The Russians however, have not succeeded in besieging the city. Ukrainian military sources have also released a large amount of video footage showing destroyed Russian equipment.
“Apparently it has been sent there [Ukrainan] From the 47th brigade, which took part in the liberation of Robotyne, among other things, some sort of combat division of Bradley assault tanks. It would seem that parts of the other troops intended for the breakthrough have been moved towards Avdijivka,” says Helin.
According to Helin, units of the First Armored Brigade of Ukraine have also been sent to Avdijivka. These troops have probably been in reserve for the expected breakthrough on the southern front, but since it has not been achieved, the Russian offensive has forced the transfer of troops.
of HS editorial editor and former Moscow correspondent Jussi Niemeläinen has been in Ukraine for the past few days.
“I would say in general that the Ukrainians do understand that this is a long war. The end is not in sight very quickly,” Niemeläinen estimates.
According to him, people try to live in the shadow of war as normally as possible. However, Ukrainians are worried about the coming winter and what will happen to Ukraine’s infrastructure.
Niemeläinen, who was also in Ukraine in April last year, notes the change in people’s behavior.
“At that time, there was clearly more of that kind of loud patriotism than today. For example, there were greetings that were used. Now you don’t hear much like this. Rarely does anyone say anything here Slava Ukraine or similar.”
Although the way of speaking has partly changed, according to Niemeläinen, people still approach the war in the same way. Ukraine has no choice but to win the war and push the Russians out of their country.
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