Ukrainian Counteroffensive
"After artillery preparation, an AFU [Armed Forces of Ukraine] armoured group went on the offensive near the town of Orikhiv in the Polohy district of Zaporizhia region.""Most likely the enemy was probing our defences on this part of the front, but now they're doing it after dark.""They may have received new night [vision] equipment."Vladimir Rogov, Russian-installed council member, occupied Zaporizhia region"It is important to understand that there will be no day when the armed forces will say: tomorrow we will launch a counteroffensive.""This is impossible in a time of war because this is classified information.""[The offensive will involve multiple operations and is being planned so] the enemy does not have time to react to it."Hanna Maliar, deputy Ukrainian defence minister
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| Ukrainian soldiers fire artillery at Russian lines at Bakhmut AP Photo |
Ukrainian forces are being identified as having 'probed' Russian lines in the country's south, apparently in preparation for the Ukrainian spring counteroffensive. Two successive attacks were mounted by the Ukrainian military in the Zaporizhia region overnight, which Russian tank crews had repulsed, according to spokesmen for the Russian-occupied region.
There was no immediate response to the Russian claims by Ukraine's general staff, which in any event makes no comments on ongoing operations. Volunteers have bought thermal-imagining equipment and night vision equipment on the open market for Ukrainian units to operate enabling night-time operations throughout the war. Western-proided equipment; Javlin anti-tank missiles operate more efficiently at night as their thermal sights are more accurate distinguishing targets in the cold.
A $2.5-billion aid package listing unspecified night vision equipment was announced in January by the United States. "Nice to have and might work in even darker conditions, but is unlikely to change the kind of operations you can undertake", commented Jack Watling -- an expert on land warfare at the Royal United Services Institute -- of modern, high-grade kit for most Ukrainian units.
Speculation among both Russian and Ukrainian commentators focus on a possible strike southwards to cut off the land bridge linking Donbas with the Crimea in Ukraine's anticipated counteroffensive to retake territory occupied by Russia. According to Rogov, Ukrainian forces were observed concentrating close to the border of the Zaporizhia and Donetsk regions where last month Ukraine struck a rail depot electricity infrastructure in Melitopol, a key "land bridge" logistics hub.
Ukraine has now received American-produced Patriot missiles, giving Kyiv a long-sought new shield against Russian airstrikes that devastated its cities and civilian infrastructure. The surface-to-air systems were agreed to in October; capable of targeting aircraft, cruise missiles and shorter-range ballistic missiles like those Russia uses to bombard residential areas and the Ukrainian power grid.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov tweeted: "Today, our beautiful Ukrainian sky becomes more secure."
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Source
www.president.gov.ua
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Labels: Russian Invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian Counteroffensive
posted by Pieface @ Saturday, April 22, 2023
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