In some sectors of the front, the Armed Forces of Ukraine managed to restore previously lost positions and gain a foothold there. Despite the constant pressure of the enemy, Ukrainian units continue to keep Bakhmut under control and take measures to stabilize the front line around this city.”
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny said this on February 11 in a conversation with the head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley.
A daily bulletin from the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) states that both the Ukrainian military and Z-bloggers are skeptical about the prospects for launching a large-scale Russian offensive in the Donetsk region given the current state of the Russian military.
Belief in the success of the offensive among pro-war bloggers is undermined, among other things, by the tactical failures of the Russians near Ugledar. All conclusions ISW builds on open sources.
The inability of the Russians for a large-scale offensive may also be evidenced by the lack of progress in any other direction, except for the Bakhmut one, where losses do not justify the achievements, according to ISW.
The Russian command, according to the bulletin, is deploying the most elite units in the Bakhmut area in small groups, using the tactics of infiltrating the city. This could provide a significant advance for Russian troops if Ukrainian forces decide to retreat from Bakhmut.
ISW notes that in the previous stages of the war, all Russian units became incapacitated and, most likely, their personnel were restored at the expense of those mobilized. According to experts, the Russian military failed to prepare the mobilized fighters for effective offensive operations.
Alexei Danilov, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, said on February 11 that the Russians had already begun their “big offensive” but that they had “big problems” with him.
We see today that they planned and launched their offensive, but they simply do not say that they launched it – and our troops are repelling it powerfully. Keep in mind that the offensive they planned is gradually underway, but not the one they were counting on,” the NSDC Secretary said.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.