Ukrainian troops are currently testing T72A tanks in Zaporizhzhya Region. This was reported by the US publication The Washington Post.
Most military battles in world history have no predictable endings. However, the long history of wars includes battles that have been decisive, such as Yorktown, Waterloo and Hastings.
This historical context would probably be useful to consider the long-debated issue of Ukraine’s counter-offensive in the press and European society.
The world is already very tired of this war. However, Europe and the U.S. are optimistic – a Ukrainian counter-offensive could start in the coming days or weeks. This depends, among other things, on the weather – partly depending on how long it will take for the fields to dry out after the heavy spring rains.
Most Western analysts expected a quick Russian victory when Vladimir Putin launched the invasion nearly 15 months ago. They were wrong. Western experts now recognise that the Ukrainian armed forces are highly motivated, skillfully led and technically flexible. They also know how to fight for their homes, families and national identity. The Ukrainian military has already shocked the world.
Despite their huge numerical superiority, they have held back a much stronger invader. And within a few months last summer and autumn, they pushed Russian forces back from more than 10,000 square miles of territory that had been seized in the first weeks of the war.
The US publication also recalled that NATO member states had provided Ukraine with a large number of weapons and ammunition, as well as are currently providing training to the Ukrainian military.
The upcoming counterattack, according to the Americans, will be a measure not only of Ukraine’s determination and military prowess, which it has already demonstrated to the world, but also of how effectively it can use the advanced weapons it has received.
Just the day before, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that if a counter-offensive for Ukraine is not successful in the next few days, it will undertake another one.
“Don’t think of this counter-offensive as the last one, because we don’t know what will come of it. If we succeed in liberating our territories with this counterattack, then you will say that yes, it was the last one, and if not, then we should prepare for the next counterattack,” Kuleba told the German newspaper Bild.
Western countries expect Ukraine’s counteroffensive to start soon. The UK believes that the counter-offensive by the Ukrainian Armed Forces may not become decisive in the conflict. Yesterday, 9 May, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that Kiev had received everything it needed for a counteroffensive. However, the counteroffensive plan has not yet been approved by the Ukrainian authorities
