The Ukrainian military held a staff exercise, in which they worked out the upcoming counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the front. They were held at the Headquarters of the US Army Command in Europe and Africa, located in the German city of Wiesbaden. It is known that those present at the exercises were the most senior US generals responsible for providing assistance to Ukraine. The New York Times writes about it. Ukrainian officials will ultimately decide which course to follow, and US military officials, they say, will serve as a kind of “resonator”.
After one of the meetings, General Christopher G. Cavoli, Supreme Allied Commander Europe, praised the “phenomenal” adaptability of the Ukrainian military and said: “We will help them adapt even more.” The United States and NATO, he said, “may continue as long as necessary.”
This week, Volodymyr Zelensky signaled that Ukraine is preparing for a big offensive. In his speech, he said that he had met with senior military leaders on training, as well as on the lack of weapons and ammunition.
General Mark A. Milley, head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, attended the exercise in Wiesbaden. Discussing them after the exercise, he described a huge table with maps and other military paraphernalia meant to represent potential battles.
“Ukrainians move objects on these maps to determine how best to proceed, and they determine the advantages and disadvantages of the associated risks, – he said. – It’s a common thing that all the military do.”
General Milli refused to detail the options that the Ukrainians worked out during the exercises. But other senior US officials, military analysts and Ukrainian government officials themselves suggest that Kyiv may try to advance against Russian defense lines in the northeast or east of the country, including in Donetsk and Lugansk. Ukraine could also launch an offensive in the south, targeting the so-called land bridge connecting the Russian mainland with Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014. In January, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin told Washington Post columnist Max Booth that a realistic goal for the Ukrainians this year would be to cut the “land bridge.” But ex-CIA director David Petraeus predicts that Ukrainians will be able to push back Russian troops this summer.
General Milley said that in addition to providing tanks, ammunition and combat vehicles, the Biden administration intends to help Ukraine’s air defenses, a task that Pentagon military planners consider critical.
“The most important priority that Ukrainians need right now is air defense, General Milli said. – This is what President Zelenskiy is asking for – the ability to continue to defend Ukrainian airspace from Russian aircraft and missile attacks.”
Earlier, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace visited Ukrainian soldiers at the British military base in Dorset.
Read on Censor.NET: “F-16 fighters may appear in Ukraine at a decisive and turning point in the war,” media
Source: Fakty
I am Joseph Zeman, a journalist who mostly covers world news for the Daily News Hack. I pride myself on being able to find and report stories that others might miss. I have a knack for being able to see both sides of every issue and this allows me to provide readers with well-rounded stories. In addition to my work as a journalist, I am also an author and have written several books on current affairs.
