Counteroffensive of AFU may begin from Melitopol, - New York Times
The most likely direction of Ukraine’s counteroffensive, which is expected soon, will be in the southern direction with its center in Melitopol.
This is stated in the material of The New York Times, Censor.NET reports with reference to RBC-Ukraine.
The editorial notes that most of the territory occupied by Russia is within the range of HIMARS missiles, which forced the occupiers to move warehouses, command centers, and other critical supplies further behind the front.
At the same time, Melitopol may become an obvious target of the Ukrainian counteroffensive.
The city is located at the intersection of two important highways and a critical railway line, making it extremely important for the supply of Russian forces in the south.
The publication notes that in the event of a successful breakthrough by Ukraine through Russian forces, "Russia's control over the Kherson region will be significantly weakened."
"Without supply lines from the east, Russian reinforcements will be able to arrive only from Crimea via a much longer route, which is also within the range of HIMARS missiles," the material emphasizes.
At the same time, the NYT draws attention to the fact that the possibilities of Ukraine's offensive in the east are limited, because the Russian Federation has been consolidating its positions here and establishing supply lines since 2014.
For an offensive, Ukraine needs to hold back Russia's advance, while maintaining its own personnel and equipment, the publication concludes.
