About 500,000 Russian troops are now concentrated in Ukraine - The Washington Post

Ukraine and Russia have a large front line, and the Ukrainian military may start attacking in one of the directions. There are several scenarios for the possible offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It is reported by The Washington Post.

“I believe that the more victories we have on the battlefield, the more people will believe in us, which means that we will receive more help.- said the president Vladimir Zelensky in an interview with an American publication.

Kiev is seeking to make a quick breakthrough in what has essentially been slowed down to a grinding artillery war in the east and south of the country, in which neither side has made significant territorial gains. Experts say it will be difficult, if not impossible, to push the Russians back to the positions they held prior to the February 24, 2022 invasion, when Moscow held parts of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions and the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula. The pressure is partly driven by Ukraine’s past victories on the battlefield, first by repelling a Russian attempt to seize Kyiv, and then by pushing the occupiers out of strongholds with surprise attacks in Kharkiv and Kherson regions.

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Now Russia, the newspaper writes, may have a geographical advantage and a large population. About 500,000 Russian troops are now concentrated in Ukraine, with at least 300,000 on Ukrainian soil. One of the key goals for Ukraine, and perhaps the first sign of success, was to destroy the so-called land bridge between mainland Russia and occupied Crimea, severing key supply lines for Russian troops in the Zaporozhye region and isolating Russian bases on the peninsula. Another priority is to regain control of extremely valuable critical infrastructure, including the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, located in the occupied city of Enerhodar, and the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant in southern Kherson region. Realizing the huge obstacles, Ukrainian officials continue to press for additional financial assistance from supporters in the West.

Ukraine can focus its efforts in the south and try to liberate the city of Melitopol, which Russia has identified as the occupied regional capital of the Zaporozhye region, and then move forward in an attempt to break the land bridge. Ukraine could also attack Crimea itself, likely through naval operations and possibly even amphibious assaults. Satellite imagery shows large trenches that Russian forces have dug in preparation for a potential assault.

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In other scenarios, the Ukrainians could attack to the east through the heavily fought town of Bakhmut or from the town of Kupyansk in an attempt to regain control over territories in the Luhansk region. Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, threatened to withdraw his troops from Bakhmut, which would leave the city vulnerable. Another option is that the Ukrainians could attack Russian positions through the town of Vuhledar towards occupied Mariupol on the Sea of ​​Azov.

Western leaders insist Ukraine is well prepared for the fight ahead. But U.S. intelligence assessments released in a massive Discord forum leak of classified documents revealed U.S. concerns about Ukraine’s ability to make significant progress this spring, due in part to “shortcomings in the preparation and supply of ammunition.

“Now we’re losing in the sky“, Zelensky said in an interview with The Post.

The Ukrainian president asked for American F-16 fighters. However, we have not received them from partners yet. General Richard Barrons, Commander of the British Joint Forces Command stated from 2013 to 2016 that there were fears that Ukraine’s still depleted air defense system could face a barrage of Russian missiles when a counter-offensive was launched. The United States may have to take down its own systems to counter this weakness, he said.

“There is a question about Ukraine’s ability to control its own airspace“, Barrons said, adding that throughout the winter, Russian tactics were clear and consisted of trying to deplete Ukraine’s air defenses.

Ukraine is also asking for more long-range strike capability as the counter-offensive nears its start.

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“They can take troops from there and overturn them to the east or south. And still they are backed up- Volodymyr Zelensky told the publication - Why? Because they know we can’t get to them… and we suffer every day because they have the ability to shoot at our people.”

Russian troops in Kherson knew that Ukraine did not have the ability to strike at long distances, so they withdrew all their command posts, fuel depots, ammunition depots to a distance of more than 120 kilometers. Because Ukraine needs something interesting with a range of 150 kilometers.

Earlier reported that the initiative is again slipping out of the hands of the Russians, according to the Finnish researcher of military history Emil Castehelmi on the situation at the front.