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| ‘It's Time': Ukraine's Top Commander Says Counteroffensive Is Imminent |
| 2023-05-28 |
| [NYT] Ukraine’s top military commander signaled on Saturday morning that the nation’s forces were ready to launch their long-anticipated counteroffensive following months of preparations, including recently stepped-up attacks on logistical targets as well as feints and disinformation intended to keep Russian forces on edge. "It’s time to get back what’s ours," Ukraine’s supreme military commander, Gen. Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, wrote in a statement. The blunt statement, accompanied by a slickly produced video of Ukrainian troops preparing for battle and released on social media, appeared intended to rally a nation weary from 15 months of war and to deepen anxiety within the Russian ranks. But General Zaluzhnyi offered no indication of where and when Ukrainian forces might try to break Russia’s hold on occupied territory. In many ways, military analysts have noted, the counteroffensive may already have begun. For weeks, Ukraine has apparently been seeking to set the stage for the campaign and "shape" the battlefield through a series of coordinated strikes deep behind enemy lines aimed at undermining critical Russian logistical operations, degrading Russia’s combat abilities and compromising Moscow’s capacity to move its forces around the battlefield. In recent days, the tempo and range of attacks deep inside Russian-held territory have increased. While Ukraine’s military has not explicitly claimed responsibility, local Russian proxy officials in occupied areas have reported strikes. Ukrainian officials have been deliberately vague in outlining their military plans, most likely in hopes of maintaining an element of surprise in what has become a widely telegraphed campaign. They have said that the counteroffensive would not be marked by a single event and would probably feature feints and deceptions at the outset. |
| Posted by:Enver Slager8035 |
| #8 I added voenkor's telegram link. I assumed the original source is from Telegram. Since I won't download and install Telegram, I can only preview a few of the latest posts on the browser. The text that was translated is in screen shot 2 of the post. A video explaining the pre-offensive strikes Ukrainians are making on Russian troop concentrations. |
| Posted by: Enver Slager8035 2023-05-28 20:20 |
| #7 #3 Russian mil blogger voenkor (Telegram @RVvoenkor): Mariupol and "Storm Shadow" 450+ dead in Mariupol + military equipment Reviewing the Telegram channel of of RVvoenkor for the relevent dates, he said nothing of the sort in any of his Telegram posts about casualties. More on the Storm Shadow rocket attack on Mariupol tomorrow. |
| Posted by: badanov 2023-05-28 18:05 |
| #6 Counteroffensive yesterday, counteroffensive tomorrow, but never counteroffensive today. |
| Posted by: EMS Artifact 2023-05-28 17:08 |
| #5 Heavy rains have now delayed things for weeks. |
| Posted by: Dale 2023-05-28 13:02 |
| #4 " planned attack as a “historic opportunity” that his nation “cannot lose” if it wants to become a “big European country.” Send more money and weapons. Keep the gravy train flowing. Send troops and equipment into the meat grinder. Russia is in no hurry. |
| Posted by: Dale 2023-05-28 09:57 |
| #3 Russian mil blogger voenkor (Telegram @RVvoenkor): Mariupol and "Storm Shadow" 450+ dead in Mariupol + military equipment |
| Posted by: Enver Slager8035 2023-05-28 00:51 |
| #2 the Inst for Study of War reports that on the Donetsk front, Russia is moving separatist militia in toward the front line and moving Wagner and regular troops out. |
| Posted by: lord garth 2023-05-28 00:34 |
| #1 'The intensity is increasing': Ukraine says first steps of its highly anticipated counteroffensive have begun as Putin's forces brace for looming onslaught |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2023-05-28 00:23 |