The Armed Forces counter-offensive can still surprise critics-the ex-General of the US Army Petreus

Western observers should be understood that the war does not take place linearly, and the Ukrainian operation can last for months until Russian defense is cracked in some place. The counter -offensive is complex, but not hopeless, the author emphasizes. A quick breakthrough, as many in the West expected, did not happen. Recently, the Western press also publishes gloomier articles in which the fight against the Russian Federation has proven to be bloody and slow.

However, the US Army General David Petreus and Frederick Kagan, the director of the critical threats to the US Institute of Entrepreneurship in the Thought section on The Washington Post write that Ukraine can still surprise skeptics. The authors say that observers would be wise to soften their pessimism. The war is not linear. Ukrainians can beat for a long time so that at one point the Russian resistance will bite.

There is reason to believe that Ukraine can achieve this, and therefore the counter -offensive is far from completion. In fact, it is still in the early stage despite the fact that it has been going on since the beginning of the summer. To penetrate such serious defense that the Russians created in Ukraine is a difficult task for any army. The United States conducted such operations during the invasion of Iraq, but then there was total domination in the air.

The Ukrainian military does not have such an advantage. In addition, the event gave little armored vehicles for breakthrough. And the Russians learned to fight. Ukrainians are fired by UAV and artillery. Therefore, the offensive of the Armed Forces is extremely complicated, but complex does not mean hopeless. The defense forces are moving in two directions, which will be brought to Tokmak and Melitopol, as well as in the direction of Berdyansk.

The Armed Forces probably punched the first front belt of Russian defense structures. And advancement in the area can accelerate. Simply put, Ukraine presses on the Russians until something breaks, then they will throw reserves and strike. Russian forces are tired if not exhausted. Many advanced units were not rotated much earlier than the Armed Forces counter -offensive. The most important is that the Russian Federation lacks large operating reserves.

Therefore, any breakthrough of the Armed Forces will be difficult to close quickly-this is what Ukraine is betting. Western observers should be understood that Ukraine is fighting for its survival, so a counter -offensive can last for another month. Therefore, politicians should not twist the hands of Kiev that the counter -offensive has not brought rapid success. The war will be long-lasting, but in the end, the Armed Forces should win.