Ukraine could break through the entire Russian defense line by the end of the year, said U.S. military intelligence representative Trent Maul.
In recent days, Ukrainian troops have breached the first of three Russian defense lines near the village of Robotyne in the Zaporizhia region.
Trent Maul, director of analysis for the Department of Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), told The Economist there was a “realistic possibility” that Ukrainian units could breach remaining Russian defenses on the southern front by the end of 2023.
“Had we had this conversation two weeks ago, I would have been more pessimistic,” the DIA official admitted, adding that the Ukrainians were now “with noticeable success” attacking the Russians’ second line of defense. At the same time, he stressed that future progress will depend on artillery supplies and weather conditions in the fall.
The Russians built three lines of defense
Ukrainian general Oleksandr Tarnavski told the Guardian that Russian troops had sacrificed 80% of their territory. of their time and resources to build the first and second lines of defense on the southern front. Nevertheless, Maul warned that most of the Russian troops remained in the third line.
According to an unnamed US official quoted by The Economist, Ukraine has about six to seven weeks of fighting before the counteroffensive reaches its peak. According to the paper, disputes are still raging in Washington over the Ukrainians’ chances of a significant breakthrough. Some believe that the counter-offensive is hampered by the heavy casualties suffered by Ukrainian forces.
US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said last week that Ukraine has made “significant progress” on the southern front. According to the Institute of War Studies (ISW), Ukrainian units continue to advance south of Robotyne and northwest of Werbowe.
Counteroffensive in Zaporozhye. The occupation authorities confirm the success of the Ukrainians
On Wednesday, the head of the occupation authorities, Yevgeny Balitsky, officially confirmed that the Russian army had lost control of Robotyne and retreated to the hills. As he added, Robotyne ceased to exist as a result of the hostilities. According to him, it is “a settlement that only remained on the map”.
ISW analysts believe that after capturing Robotyne, Ukrainian forces are preparing to attack the Russian army’s second line of defense in Zaporizhia. There are three lines of defense in total, and the goal of the Ukrainians is to reach the Sea of Azov and cut the “land bridge” between Russia and Crimea, which has an important function for supplying the Russian army in the areas of occupied Ukraine.
Source: Do Rzeczy
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
