The Ukrainian Armed Forces may use a slow counteroffensive, analysts at the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) say.
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According to ISW, the delayed counter-offensive of the Defense Forces may be aimed at exhausting the forces of the occupying Russian army and preparing for further offensive actions.
On June 21, Ukrainian troops carried out counter-offensive operations in at least three sectors of the front. Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine Anna Malyar said on June 21 that the Defense Forces had achieved partial success during offensive operations in the direction of Bialogorivka-Shipilovka. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine indicated that the defenders continue their offensive on the border section between the western part of Donetsk and the eastern part of the Zaporozhye regions on the Svobodnaya Pole-Makarovka line.
ISW has previously reported that a well-thought-out defense of Russian troops in the western Zaporizhia region and prepared defensive positions throughout southern Ukraine are likely to slow down the advance of Ukrainian troops. At the same time, experts believe that Ukrainian forces are likely to be successful in setting the stage for a future major effort, despite initial setbacks.
Ukrainian forces could conduct multiple theater-wide offensives to gradually divert Russian forces and set the stage for a future main effort, the review said.
In addition, careful operational planning on the Ukrainian side is likely to mitigate and balance this condition with the equally important observation that the depletion of Russian manpower is an important goal.
The broader operational intentions of Ukrainian attacks along the entire front line may be based on the gradual depletion of Russian forces and assets in preparation for further offensive actions, the ISW concludes.
Source: Racurs
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