Ukraine used only 3 out of 12 brigades in counteroffensive, - Reuters
Only 3 out of 12 brigades of the Armed Forces took part in the counteroffensive in southeastern Ukraine.
Reuters writes about it, Censor.NET reports.
"After a week of fierce fighting, the real test of Kyiv's counteroffensive is yet to come, as Ukrainian troops are at a certain distance from Russia's main defense line, and the main part of the forces prepared for the offensive are still in standby mode," the article says.
Konrad Muzyka, a Polish military analyst who has been following the fighting closely, said only 3 of the 12 brigades prepared for the counteroffensive had been seen fighting in the southeast.
Reuters writes that Ukraine has created 12 armored brigades to conduct a counteroffensive. 9 of them were trained and equipped by the West. A brigade usually has at least 3,500-4,000 servicemen. Ukraine also said that the Ministry of Internal Affairs has prepared 8 assault brigades of 40,000 troops.
According to analysts, the main forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are concentrated near the city of Orihiv in the Zaporizhzhia region and Velyka Novosilka in the Donetsk region, about 80 km to the east.
"This may indicate that the Ukrainian generals have their eyes on Tokmak, an occupied town in the Zaporizhzhia region, located approximately 25 km from the front line. Another 50 km is the city of Melitopol. Both settlements are well fortified. Near Velyka Novosilka, Ukraine released a group of four sat," the publication writes.
Muzyka noted that initially, the counteroffensive progressed "well," but after five or six days of this main phase, progress appears to have stalled. However, he does not know why this happened.
"The counteroffensive is complicated by the lack of Ukrainian aviation. Kyiv has been lobbying the West for months for the supply of F-16 fighter jets," but has not yet received them, Reuters writes.
Muzyka also stated that Ukraine probably lost up to 15% of Bradleys and several percent of Leopard 2s, but he does not rule out that some of them were taken away by the Armed Forces of Ukraine and sent for repair.
Military analyst Jack Watling stressed that it was too early to say whether the offensive would be a success or a failure: "We must refrain from premature claims of success or failure."
