The long-awaited Ukrainian counteroffensive may have begun
Mike Brest
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Ukrainian forces intensified their attacks against Russian forces overnight into Thursday in what some officials have characterized as a component of their highly anticipated counteroffensive.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Thursday that approximately 1,500 Ukrainian troops from the 47th mechanized brigade attempted to break through their defense in the Zaporizhzhia region.
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He also said the battle lasted roughly two hours and that Ukraine lost tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and personnel, though the Kremlin has, at times, provided dubious statistics about losses in the war.
Shoigu did not provide evidence to support the claim, and Ukrainian leaders have said they will not share details of the counteroffensive for operational secrecy.
The U.K. Defense Ministry said in its latest update that “heavy fighting continues along multiple sectors of the front,” which it described as a “highly complex operational picture.”
This week, Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said an offensive was “taking place in several directions,” while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his forces were “ready.”
Meanwhile, Maliar said Ukraine had advanced from 200 to 1,100 meters in various sections of Bakhmut, the strategically insignificant town in eastern Ukraine where the front lines of the war have been for nearly a year.
“In the direction of Bakhmut, our troops switched from defense to offensive,” she said in a post on Telegram. “Over the past day, we have advanced from 200 to 1,100 meters in various sections of the Bakhmut direction.”
Ukrainian forces embarked on their highly anticipated counteroffensive with the benefit of billions of dollars of military equipment and subsequent training on certain weapons from the United States and other Western allies.
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Kyiv has expressed some concern that continued Western aid could be contingent upon their success in this offensive and in part due to the 2024 U.S. presidential election, in which some GOP candidates have said they would cease aiding Ukraine militarily if elected.
“In a situation like this, when there is support, you are afraid of changes,” Zelensky said earlier this week. “And to be honest, when you mention a change of administration, I feel the same way as any other person — you want changes for the better, but it can also be the other way around.”