Ukraine will quickly launch its main counteroffensive in opposition to invading Russian forces, Ukrainian officers signaled Friday, elevating hopes that the long-anticipated operation will lastly push Russian troops again towards their very own border and will give Kyiv and its Western companions new leverage in any future cease-fire talks.
Speaking to reporters in Kyiv, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov mentioned his nation has obtained a lot of the arms and tools it wants to start the counteroffensive. The mission is predicted to be one of many largest operations up to now within the 14-month conflict and will lead to a number of the bloodiest combating.
“Preparations are coming to an end,” Mr. Reznikov mentioned, in response to Agence France-Presse. “In addition to being provided a weapon, it must be mastered. Equipment has been promised, prepared and partially delivered. In a global sense, we’re ready.”
Across the West, the spring counteroffensive is seen as a key marker in a broader effort to place Ukraine within the driver’s seat in any potential peace talks with the Kremlin. The hope is that the offensive will push Russian forces additional again within the disputed Donbas area and maybe even drive them out of the territory completely.
In such a state of affairs, Moscow could also be left with little selection however to pursue peace with phrases extremely favorable to Ukraine.
Ukrainian officers have made clear they imagine the counteroffensive might resolve the destiny of the conflict.
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“Like it or not, we are approaching a landmark battle for the recent history of Ukraine,” Kyrylo Budanov, chief of the intelligence directorate for Ukraine‘s Ministry of Defense, informed the information outlet RBC-Ukraine in an interview revealed earlier this week.
“This is a fact, everyone understands it,” he mentioned. “When it will start is a mystery. But everyone understands that we are getting closer to it.”
In preparation for the assault, Russian troops have largely stopped any offensive operations and have as a substitute begun to fortify their defenses within the Donbas and surrounding areas.
Ukrainian officers have given no clear indications whether or not their assault will strike east into the Donbas or make a feint towards the Sea of Azov to the south, successfully reducing off the Kremlin’s vaunted “land bridge” connecting Crimea to Russia correct. A profitable drive to the south within the Zaporizhzhya area would divide Russia’s occupied lands in two and put Crimea, the Russian naval base in Sevastopol and the Kerch Strait bridge all inside vary of Ukrainian artillery.
While Russia is targeted on reinforcing its defensive positions, it’s nonetheless totally able to launching main missile assaults on its enemy. On Friday, Russia fired greater than 20 cruise missiles at Ukrainian targets, together with within the capital of Kyiv.
At least 19 folks have been killed, together with three youngsters, The Associated Press reported.
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