Serhii Mykhalchuk/Global Images Ukraine/Getty Images
Ukrainian troops are seen training on German Leopard 2 tanks in Ukraine May 14.
Kyiv, Ukraine CNN —
With just a few words and a cleverly orchestrated piece of military propaganda, the supreme commander of Ukraine’s armed forces fueled speculation that a long-awaited counter-offensive by Kiev against the occupying Russian forces might be imminent.
“The time has come to take back what is ours,” said the official, General Valerii Zaluzhyni.
The one-minute video shows Ukrainian troops marching, training and apparently preparing for battle.
Some can be seen using German tanks and American artillery and rocket launchers – the kind of armament Kiev would employ in a possible operation to drive Russian forces out of Ukrainian territory.
The clip ends with soldiers and their commander chanting a defiant message: “Ukraine, my homeland, Lord our Heavenly Father, bless our decisive offensive, our holy vengeance, our holy victory.”
The video was posted online after weeks of speculation as to when Ukraine would begin the counteroffensive — or if it might have even started.
Despite its wording, Zaluzhyni’s post made no explicit mention of an upcoming military operation, and few details were reported on specific troop and weapon deployments — though it should be noted that such reporting would likely violate the restrictions of martial law in Ukraine.
Both Russia and Ukraine are known to conduct disinformation campaigns to confuse enemy forces.
The counteroffensive itself seemed imminent a number of times over the past month.
Ukraine’s military were seen moving military equipment towards the front lines and conducting attacks on Russian targets that could facilitate an offensive, including attacks on Thursday and Saturday in the Russian-held city of Berdyansk in the south of the country.
Yurii Stefanyak/Global Images Ukraine/Getty Images
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi is seen March 10 in Kiev, Ukraine.
The Kremlin said on Saturday that its forces shot down 12 Ukrainian drones over the past 24 hours over Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhia, a trio of Ukrainian territories all partially occupied by Russian forces.
According to Russia, the Russian air defense forces also intercepted several long-range missiles and cruise missiles. Also on Saturday, explosions occurred in the Russian-held city of Mariupol.
A senior US official confirmed to CNN in early May that Ukraine had begun conducting “shaping” operations, attacking targets such as weapons depots, command centers, and tank and artillery systems in order to level the battlefield in favor of the advancing Kiev forces to form. Shaping is a standard tactic used before large combined operations, but can also be used simply to confuse the enemy.
Ukrainian officials are keeping details of the operation secret, including whether or not it has already started. This is probably an attempt to confuse the Russian military.
The incursion of pro-Ukrainian Russian forces into Russia earlier this week, a bold move that greatly embarrassed Moscow, was also likely aimed at forcing the Kremlin to position its forces outside Ukraine to better serve Russia’s relatively exposed borders To defend.
PR factors also play a role. Explain that the counter-offensive is underway and the clock will start ticking immediately for the first results. Avoid doing this, as the mounting casualties Russia is suffering are only seen as part of normal frontline wear and tear.
Ukraine’s deputy defense minister said in April that Kiev would not announce the start of the counteroffensive, and Ukrainian officials have remained silent ever since.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dropped few hints about the possible operation and has repeatedly refused to provide specific details on when.
Earlier this month, Zelenskyy said his country needed “a little more time” to allow for the delivery of more Western military aid.
And on Thursday of this week, just two days before General Zaluzhnyi’s arrest Telegram post, one of Zelenskyi’s top advisers had insisted that the world cannot wait for a certain moment.
The counteroffensive, Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted, “is not a ‘single event’ that begins at a specific hour on a specific day with a ceremonial cutting of the red ribbon.”