Ukraine Strategy to Target Russia’s Supply Lines, Wary of Massive Offensive to Recapture – Bloomberg

In recent weeks, Ukrainian forces have systematically targeted Russian supply lines occupying strategically important areas and the city of Kherson. That doesn’t mean a major offensive to recapture is imminent.

Despite being supplied with new weapons by the United States and Europe, the outnumbered Ukrainian army has so far avoided a major attack on the city of Kherson on the Dnieper River, which fell into Russian hands early in the war. ing. Instead, it focuses on the strategy of depleting the enemy, using long-range weapons such as the HIMARS high-mobility rocket artillery system supplied by the United States, such as the bridge used to supply Russian troops on the west bank of Kherson. were destroyed one after another.

Ukrainian artillery inspecting weapons before heading to the Kherson front

Photographer: Metin Aktas/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Ukraine is likely preparing a reversal offensive in the south, but will only do so if it is confident it can move forward and further damages Russian military logistics and supply lines, the people familiar with the matter said. two Western officials said. The Ukrainian military is cautious, he said, because moving forward risks making it more vulnerable to attack.

Nearly six months have passed since the start of the war, and the Russian army’s advance toward complete control of the Donbass region in eastern Ukraine has been slow. On the other hand, pressure from the Ukrainian army intensified in the Kherson region, forcing Russia to increase its forces on the southern front. The strategy of luring and dividing Russian forces on the west bank of Kherson may be a harbinger of a long-running battle, lasting weeks or even months, that will drain the occupying forces, rather than an onslaught to retake it.

There is a “potential” for Ukraine to recapture Kherson within a few months, but it is unlikely to happen sooner, Arrestovich, an adviser to the head of the president’s office, said in an interview on Wednesday. He also said the war could last at least until the new year, and possibly next summer, to achieve “complete liberation” of Ukrainian territory.

news-rsf-original-reference paywall">Original title:

news-rsf-original-reference paywall">Ukraine Strategy Targets Russian Army’s Lifelines in Kherson(excerpt)

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