2023-07-19 22:25:33
According to Gady, a war of attrition is currently taking place in Ukraine. “A war of attrition is won by inflicting disproportionately more human and material losses on the enemy than your own side suffers.” Territory gains are of course important, but not decisive, the expert explained.
Ukraine is trying to use “combined arms warfare” tactics against Russia. This is “the supreme discipline in the military trade” and stands for the “effective integration and synchronization of military operations” and is currently not mastered by any country in the world apart from the USA. So Ukraine is trying to achieve what not a single European military force would be able to achieve.
Military expert Gady on Ukraine’s counter-offensive
Ukraine says it needs hundreds of additional armored vehicles and F-16 fighter jets to recapture Russian-held territory. Franz-Stefan Gady (military expert, London) was in ZIB2 on the military situation in Ukraine.
Ukraine now in a more difficult attacking position
Unlike at the beginning of the war, when the Ukrainian army was able to repel the Russian attacks surprisingly well, it is now in the position of the attacker in the counter-offensive and is therefore in a more difficult position. At the beginning of the war, the Russian armed forces were not at all prepared for the strong resistance – one would have thought it was “a coup d’etat, a political action,” analyzed Gady.
According to Gady, the fact that the USA decided two weeks ago to supply Ukraine with highly controversial cluster munitions happened because Ukrainian ammunition supplies would sooner or later run out. Cluster munitions could be used to attack broader targets and thus prolong the offensive and probably extend it into the fall.
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From a moral perspective, it will be up to Ukraine to decide whether or not to use this ammunition on its own territory – “and then, of course, the question is: does the use of these weapons save the lives of Ukrainian soldiers or not?” military assessment, he cannot imagine that the Ukraine war will be over in the fall. “This offensive will certainly last a few more weeks or months.”
MI6 boss believes offensive will succeed
The head of the British secret service MI6 also stated on Wednesday that the offensive to recapture Ukraine is going more successfully than previously thought. “In the last month, Ukraine has recaptured more territory than Russia occupied last year.” Nevertheless, according to the MI6 chief, it is essential to deliver more weapons.
Archyde.com/Ukrainian Armed Forces The recapture of Russian territories is progressing slowly – Ukraine is asking the EU and the US for new arms supplies
US military: ‘Far from having failed’
The US military also opposes the idea that Ukraine’s counteroffensive has failed. “The Ukrainians are advancing steadily and purposefully,” Chief of Staff Mark Milley said Tuesday at the US Department of Defense after an online meeting of the international Ukraine contact group to coordinate military aid. “This is anything but a failure,” he added after a relevant question. It is far too early to come to such a conclusion. “I think there’s still a lot of fighting to do and I stand by what we said before: it’s going to be long, it’s going to be tough, it’s going to be bloody.”
debate
What chances does Kiev’s offensive have?
Milley cited the mined area as the reason for the slow advance. The Ukrainian armed forces worked their way “slowly” and “deliberately” through the minefields, which currently posed a particularly serious threat. “The losses suffered by the Ukrainians in this offensive are not so much due to the strength of the Russian air force as to minefields,” he said.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin assured that the allies of the Russian-attacked country would not let up in their support for Ukraine. “Our work continues and we will do everything we can to ensure that Ukrainians can succeed.”
Ukraine admits difficulties
In an interview on Wednesday, Ukrainian presidential adviser Michailo Podoliak admitted to difficulties with the counter-offensive launched last month. These are partly due to the heavily mined territory. There are also logistical problems, including the delivery of weapons. Without a doubt, the offensive will therefore be “rather difficult and lengthy and take a lot of time,” said Podoljak.
Ukraine needs hundreds of additional armored vehicles and up to 80 F-16 fighter jets for its counter-offensive to recapture Russian-held territory. His country needs “in particular 200 to 300 armored vehicles” and “60 to 80 F-16 fighter jets to seal off the airspace properly,” said Podoljak.
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