Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said the Ukrainian army is ready for a “global” counterattack.
“We are ready in high percentage mode, then the question remains for the General Staff, the command. As soon as God’s permission, the weather conditions and the decision of the commanders, we will do what is necessary,” said the Minister of Defense.
At the same time, Reznikov noted that not all training courses for the Ukrainian army on managing Western equipment have yet been completed. As mentioned Reutersthousands of Ukrainian military personnel have already been trained in Western countries and learned the combined use of various military assets on the battlefield.
“Preparation is being completed, in addition to weapons and equipment, our army still needs to master. We bought very modern systems, especially in terms of “armored punch”. First of all, let me remind you that in addition to the tank coalition that includes Leopard 2 and Challenger, Leopard 1 will come a little later,” he said.
He stressed that Ukraine is also waiting for the American Abrams tanks, but according to the minister, they will not have time to arrive for this counterattack.
“I don’t think Abrams will have time to join this counterattack. But our teams are already on their way to training,” he said.
According to the head of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the country received a large number of armored vehicles of various types from Western partners. Especially Bradley, Marder, Stryker, CV 90 and others machines.
“In addition to providing the weapon, it needs to be mastered. Equipment promised, prepared and partially delivered. In general, we are ready,” Reznikov told reporters.
Kiev hopes that the planned counterattack will change the course of hostilities. In its latest daily report, the Ukrainian General Staff stated that Bakhmut is the place where the most violent clashes took place.
Date unknown, destination also
Reports and assumptions about a possible counterattack of the Ukrainian army have been appearing for several months, but no one has yet announced the date of the proposed operation.
In early March, Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the head of the Ukrainian presidency, admitted that the country’s armed forces will go on the offensive in two months. On April 15, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced that the offensive could begin in the summer.
As early as April 19, Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar said that it was pointless to expect a counterattack because it did not involve a single large-scale military operation.
The deputy head of the division said that the clashes in Maryinka, Liman and Bakhmut near Avdiivka are in themselves “counter-offensive elements”.
In turn, Natalya Gumenyuk, head of the Press Center for the Joint Coordination of the “Southern” Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, noted that the counterattack has already “quietly made small steps.” According to him, it consists in reducing the capacity of the Russian army.
The directions and targets of the attack are named differently. In particular, on April 11, the head of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, said that the authorities are ready to attack the peninsula. Acting Governor of Kherson region Volodymyr Saldo expressed the opinion that Ukrainian troops could launch an attack in the region.
Bild publication, citing NATO analysts, wrote that Zaporozhye and Luhansk will be the main directions of Ukraine’s counterattack, and one of the goals will be to stop Russia’s ground communications with Crimea.
On April 25, The New York Times, citing leaked US intelligence and Pentagon documents, wrote that Kiev plans to prepare 12 brigades of 4,000 men each by the end of April to launch an offensive in the south in May.