According to US experts, Russia is currently attempting to regain the initiative in the eastern Ukraine war zone through multiple simultaneous attacks. However, the success of these attempts is questionable due to the sustained pressure from the Ukrainian counteroffensive, as reported by the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in Washington. The cities of Kupjansk in the Kharkiv region, as well as Avdiivka and Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, are particularly fiercely contested.
Ukraine conflict: Strong combat actions by the Ukrainian defenders
Although Ukrainian sources also acknowledged that the situation on the front line for Kiev’s troops is difficult and complex, US experts consider it a success that the Ukrainian forces have been able to establish positions on the left bank of the Dnieper River in the Kherson region – positions that were previously held by Russian troops.
Since October, there have been remarkably strong combat actions by the Ukrainian defenders, who have held their positions on the riverbank and continued to supply the troops there, according to the ISW analysis. Russian state media recently briefly reported that Moscow’s troops would have to withdraw from there, but then retracted the reports. There was talk of an alleged Ukrainian provocation.
The situation on the front lines in the east and south of Ukraine is considered deadlocked – without significant progress for either of the warring parties. With Western military assistance, Ukraine has been defending itself against the Russian aggression for almost 21 months. The goal of a Ukrainian liberation of the partially occupied territories of Kherson, Zaporizhia, Luhansk, and Donetsk by Russia is not yet in sight.
Ukrainians aim to attack supply routes
However, it is quite apparent that Ukraine has also devised a tactic to significantly impact the Russian troops in the already harsh winter. The ISW reports that, according to statements from high-ranking Ukrainian officials, a campaign against Russian supply routes is likely to be planned soon.
In response to this and the general situation in the Ukraine conflict, military expert Ralph Thiele said in a statement to FOCUS online:
“The situation in Ukraine is becoming problematic. There is little movement on the front lines. The West is ultimately responsible for this. In the Western foreign and security policy of the past decades, promises are made quickly, but they are not kept or only kept belatedly. In this case, it concerns ammunition. The 1 million artillery shells promised by the EU have not even arrived at a third. In an artillery-dominated war of attrition, this is deadly for Ukraine. The apologies are pitiful: ‘The industry is not producing quickly enough.’ The response masks management failures in Brussels and in the European capitals.
How can Ukraine deal with this situation? Obviously, it first wants to survive the upcoming winter. To do this, it must defend itself against the Russian air strikes on its critical infrastructure. At the same time, it aims to block the Russian supply routes. If the supply of Russian forces with food, water, ammunition, and winter materials is disrupted, combined with the onset of bad weather, the Russian offensive operations could “freeze.” A probably effective plan.”
Ukraine general requests more ammunition
Furthermore, Ukraine would like to have long-range missiles and long-range rocket artillery to fight the war further
hinter den russischen Linien vordringen. Allerdings stellt sich die Frage, ob dies einen positiven Effekt haben wird. Die Ukraine bemüht sich momentan darum, große westliche Firmen dazu zu bewegen, langfristig in den Wiederaufbau der ukrainischen Infrastruktur und Wirtschaft zu investieren. Eine deutliche Ausweitung des Handlungsspielraums könnte sich jedoch negativ auf die Bereitschaft der angesprochenen CEO auswirken, investieren zu wollen.
Laut dem Chef des ukrainischen Generalstabs, Walerij Saluschnyj, ist ein größerer Munitionsvorrat dringend erforderlich. Allerdings reicht dies allein nicht aus, um die festgefahrene Lage an der Front zu überwinden. Er setzt darauf, modernste westliche Technologie einzusetzen, um die Initiative auf dem Schlachtfeld zurückzugewinnen. Saluschnyj vertritt die Auffassung, dass im Kampf, der bereits den beispiellosen Einsatz von Drohnen, Satelliten, Cyber-Angriffen und Operationen im elektromagnetischen Spektrum erlebt hat, diejenige Seite siegen wird, die das Potenzial der bestehenden und neuen Technologien im Verteidigungssektor am effektivsten nutzt.
„Der simple Fakt ist, dass wir alles sehen, was der Feind unternimmt, und sie wiederum alles sehen, was wir tun“, erklärt General Saluschnyj. „Um aus dieser Pattsituation herauszukommen, benötigen wir etwas Innovatives, vergleichbar mit der Erfindung des Schießpulvers durch die Chinesen, das uns immer noch gegenseitig tötet.'”
