“We are now between the first and second lines of defense” of Russia, says General Oleksandr Tarnavskiy, in charge of the counteroffensive in the south, in an interview published this weekend, a few days after Kiev announced a symbolic victory with the recapture of the village Robotyne.
It then appears that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is increasingly rejecting criticism of the supposed slowness of the counteroffensive launched in June to retake the territories captured by Moscow. “We are now in the process of destroying the enemy units responsible for protecting Russian troops as they retreat behind their second line of defense,” assured the general, whose troops liberated the southern city of Kherson last year.
“The enemy is drawing on his reserves”
According to General Tarnavskiy, Moscow forces were “just standing still and waiting for the Ukrainian army” and had now been deployed to the area. “The enemy is drawing on its reserves, not only in Ukraine but also in Russia. Sooner or later the Russians will run out of their best soldiers. This gives us the opportunity to attack them stronger and faster,” the general said. “Everything will come,” he added.
He also explains that the Ukrainian army’s counteroffensive was delayed because it “spent more time than expected clearing the areas occupied by the Russians.” “Unfortunately, it was difficult for us to evacuate the injured. And that has also hampered our progress,” he added, acknowledging that Kiev had suffered significant losses.