"Enemy has built defense that is difficult to overcome," - Syrsky
We must not underestimate the enemy. The enemy has predicted and continues to predict the most dangerous directions of our movements.
This was stated by the Commander of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky in an interview with The Guardian, Censor.NET reports citing RBC-Ukraine.
For months, there had been talk of a spring counter-offensive by Ukraine. The successes of the battles for Kyiv, Kharkiv, and then the liberation of the northern Kherson region made the Ukrainian public and Western capitals expect more, or at least some signs that the war might soon end in victory.
Two weeks ago, the offensive in the east began under Syrsky's command. It has been difficult. This week, Volodymyr Zelensky, while insisting that the world should allow Ukraine to implement its battle plan, admitted that progress is "slower than we want".
Sitting on old tyres in a camp with military tents near a small village (the location is not disclosed for security reasons), Syrsky makes no secret of the difficult task his men are trying to accomplish. "It's difficult and it creates tension," he says of the latest developments on the frontline.
According to him, Russia is conducting an offensive near Kreminna in the Luhansk region, and on Tuesday there were heavy fighting in the Serebryansky forest on the administrative border of the Donetsk region.
The enemy sent the 83rd Air Assault Brigade to Bakhmut from the south, he says. And after the Kakhovka dam was blown up, crossing the Dnipro, which is necessary to liberate the left-bank part of the Kherson region, became even more difficult.
Syrsky goes on to describe the dizzying number of moves on the battlefield. The pieces on the chessboard are clear, but the outcome sounds ominous: "The Russians are trying to seize the initiative, so the situation is really difficult."
None of this came as a surprise, says Syrsky, who was born in the Russian city of Vladimir. While Ukrainian military circles seek solace in ridiculing Russia's military actions, enjoying the indiscipline and mutinies shared on social media, he describes the situation without emotion.
"We should not underestimate the enemy. The enemy has foreseen and continues to foresee the most dangerous directions of our movements and is building a strong defence there that is quite difficult to break through," he said.
When asked about the key to Ukraine's success after Putin's invasion, Syrsky attributes it to motivation and training. "Then, even with fewer people, you can defeat a more numerous enemy. I have never fought against fewer enemies; they always outnumbered us," he says.
"And the third factor is the detailed planning of all our operations and actions, very detailed preparation. The planning shows how well we have studied the peculiarities of the theatre of operations, how well we use the topographical features. Of course, we see the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy, and we have to take all this into account," the general emphasises.
