Armed Forces of Ukraine launched a counteroffensive near Bakhmut

Massive amounts of Western weapons have arrived in Ukraine as Kyiv launches a counter-offensive in Bakhmut, Severodonetsk and Lysychansk, with the ultimate goal of the largest Russian-speaking cities of Donetsk and Lugansk. The footage of a large number of anti-tank systems, tanks and armored personnel carriers of Western production, delivered to the Ukrainian army, is striking.

Yesterday, President of Ukraine V. Zelensky said in his speech that “the high military command has pledged to continue to protect Bakhmut.”

The first stage of the counter-offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has already begun, according to military expert Pavlo Narozhny. It is preparatory, the expert says. The destruction of manpower and equipment of the Russian army in Bakhmut is necessary in order to start active offensive operations, Narozhny claims.

“Ukraine not only continues to hold back the Russian offensive, but is also preparing to turn the tide of the war,” said Brigadier General Mikhail Drapatiy, commander of the Kherson operational group of troops. To break, we need a weapon. Already Patriot from Poland is in Ukraine, and Leopard tanks are coming. Is it long to wait for a big counteroffensive?

– Exactly. I think that the counteroffensive will begin. Its first stage has already begun to some extent, let’s say so. But I think we will see some real offensive actions not earlier than the end of April or the beginning of May. When will the weather be, when will Leopards arrive, when will 33 pieces of AS-90 artillery systems from the UK, 30 pieces of Challenger from the UK, a lot of ammunition that our allies are now ordering, GLSDB and other weapons. We really miss him.

Therefore, we are waiting for the allies to deliver these weapons, and when the weather becomes suitable for this matter. I think that we will see offensive actions in the south, in the region of Luhansk region, Kremennaya and, possibly, even Donetsk, but this is unlikely.

– What does the first stage of the counter-offensive mean? You say that we are already witnessing it, we are already seeing it.

– In Bakhmut, now the enemy’s losses are about five to eight times greater than ours. And this is the loss of both manpower and equipment. They are losing a lot of people. And it was already we who first ground the elite troops, then they abandoned the simple “Wagnerites”, then the elite “Wagnerites”. And now these “Wagnerites” in Bakhmut are being replaced by the Russian landing force, the marines, because the “Wagnerites” are already running out of them.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) may attempt a counteroffensive after they surrender Artemovsk (Bakhmut), Kyiv will want to present this to the West as compensation, said Volodymyr Rogov, chairman of the movement “We are together with Russia”, member of the main council of the administration of the Zaporozhye region in conversation with NSN.

The day before, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the capture of Artemovsk by Russian troops would allow the Russian Armed Forces to continue offensive deep into the defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He stressed that Artemivsk is an important center of defense for Ukrainian troops in the Donbass. Vladimir Rogov noted that after the capture of Artemovsk, the Russian military will have a deeply prepared defense and considerable forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“In the Zaporozhye direction, a regrouping by Zelensky’s militants is underway. 3.5 thousand militants have now been delivered to Zaporozhye, and about 12 thousand more militants of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are concentrating on the border of the Dnepropetrovsk and Zaporozhye regions. This is the maximum distance from the line of contact where our artillery cannot reach. A possible offensive or counter-offensive has already been sold to the West several times in terms of media. An offensive attempt can be made as compensation for the loss of Artemovsk. Taking into account the fact that after Artemovsk there is both Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, the front line will not move quickly to the West. There is a deeply prepared defense and considerable enemy forces“, – said Rogov.

He also said that the Ukrainian military, who were deployed to Zaporozhye, were trained using new Western technology. According to Rogov, first the military is kept near the line of contact, after which they are taken away for training abroad.

Formerly Cossack general, State Duma deputy Victor Vodolatsky in conversation with NSN noted that Artemovsk is in a tactical environment of the Wagner PMC fighters, who are preparing the corridor of the Russian army for further advance to Seversk, Kramatorsk and Slavyansk. However, despite the numerous “announcements”, there is no talk of a complete capture of the city by the Russian army.