The Ukrainian army likes to remain discreet about its military strategy. However, for several months she has been announcing the preparation of a counter-offensive that is intended to force Russian troops to withdraw from the areas they have occupied. While Moscow claims it has been repelling attacks on multiple fronts since June 4, Kiev is putting things into perspective. Has the time come for this counter-offensive, or is it just offensive action by the Ukrainian General Staff? Update on the latest articles available.
Ukrainian “major attacks” or Russian propaganda in action?
Since June 4, five sections of the front have been the scene of actions by the Ukrainian army, which the Russian Ministry of Defense says it has opposed. According to Moscow, these “large-scale attacks” are taking place “to the south of the Donetsk region in the east”. The Russian army also on Tuesday admitted the deaths of 71 of its soldiers in these operations to repel Ukrainian attacks.
Also near the city of Novodonetské near Vougledar in the south of the Donetsk region there were new “attempts to break through the Russian defenses” on Monday afternoon. “The enemy did not achieve their goals,” the Russian ministry hailed, broadcasting images of the destruction of armored vehicles. A discourse, however, that experts observing the conflict are happy to question Cedric Masa military historian who denounced “a new crude propaganda announcing extraordinary losses” of Ukrainians.
The Russian Defense Ministry also congratulated its forces, which killed “more than 1,500 Ukrainian soldiers” and destroyed “28 tanks”. Figures derided by the leader of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigoyine. “It’s just swearing,” he commented. Killing 1,500 soldiers in one day is “a hellish massacre,” he quipped, mocking Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov.
Simple “offensive actions”, according to Kiev
On the Kiev side, the thundering Russian announcements are put into perspective. According to Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Maliar, “We are conducting offensive actions in some sectors.” She also reported, without further detail, “smaller fighting” in the south, where Russian forces are “on the defensive.” The announcement of the start of the counteroffensive is rejected by the Ukrainian camp.
While thanking his troops for the territorial gains they claimed, Volodymyr Zelenskyy also joked about Moscow’s reaction. “We see how hysterical Russia is reacting to all the advances we are making in this sector, to all the positions we are taking. The enemy knows that Ukraine will win,” said the Ukrainian president.
Aide to Ukraine’s President Mykhailo Podoliak had previously estimated that Russia “is busy repelling a global offensive that doesn’t exist yet.” “Why are the Russians actively publishing information about a counteroffensive? Because they need to distract [au sujet de] Defeat in the leadership of Bachmout,” Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Maliar told Telegram.
recognition tests?
Experts and Russian soldiers actually expect Kiev to multiply attacks on enemy lines in order to find weak points there before sending in the bulk of the troops. In September 2022, the Ukrainian army secretly prepared an attack that led to the recapture of almost the entire Kharkiv region.
These operations in Kiev allow him “to get to know the Russian positions better, to try to get a foothold in key positions and then to open the offensive, to create a diversion, but above all to fix the Russian forces in this sector” , he analyses on twitter Stéphane Audrand, independent consultant, specialist in arms trade control.
The expert emphasizes the strategic quality of the diversion in Ukrainian communication and points to the possibility “that the Ukrainians have stationed false units, which they make credible with real/false attacks.” According to other observers, the counter-offensive will follow soon. “Next week looks like the most important offensive in the last seven months will begin,” the account reads. war cartographerwhich produces daily maps of the war in Ukraine.
Bakhmout remains the epicenter of the fighting
The Donestk region remains the epicenter of fighting to this day, particularly in the town of Bakhmout, which has been under shelling since last summer. Advance, then retreat… The city has still not fallen into Russian hands, despite the efforts of Wagner’s mercenaries to take Bakhmout. As they ceded their hands to the regular Russian army, the Russian camp recorded new defeats.
Thus, Ganna Maliar confirmed that the Ukrainian forces are advancing “on a fairly broad front” on the outskirts of this city: “We are making victories and occupying the dominant heights.” According to her, the Ukrainian troops have advanced several hundred meters on this stretch of the front. This progress was even confirmed by Evguenie Prigojine, who said that “a part of the village of Berkhivka is already lost”, which is “a shame”. »