Russian minefields delay Ukrainian offensive

The Ukrainian counter-offensive progressed slowly due to Russian minefields and the difficulty for Ukrainian forces to deploy their artillery, infantry and cavalry simultaneously and in concert with each other. So says defense specialist Peter Wijninga of The Hague Center for Strategic Studies. “The Ukrainians have a problem with the appearance of large-scale allied weapons.”

According to Wijninga, the center of gravity of the Ukrainian counter-offensive is in the south and concerns the Zaporizhia Oblast towards Melitopol and Berdyansk on the coast of the Sea of ​​Azov. “It’s going slowly.” And this is partly due to the many Russian minefields and the lack of heavy equipment on the Ukrainian side to clear mines effectively. Many minefields therefore have to be cleared manually. “And of course it slows down tremendously.”

According to Wijninga, the Ukrainians also have difficulties with the concept of large-scale connected weapons, the simultaneous and effective deployment of cavalry, artillery and infantry in concert with each other. “Now it’s basically sequential: the artillery starts firing, when it’s stopped, armored cars come in, then the infantry follows. “And that means the operation is largely carried out on foot.”

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According to Wijninga, the Ukrainians are taking a lot of losses and the Russian defense is solid, noting that the defense always has an advantage over the attacker. And that, he says, makes the Ukrainians very cautious and suspicious in their approach to Russian positions. A slow pace, but does Ukraine also have a long breath? Depends on supply of new staff, says Wijninga. “Another huge contingent of Ukrainian troops is currently being trained by Western countries.”

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