"Spent strength and means": why should the Armed Forces move from offensive to defense

Ukraine is proposed to move from the offensive to defense to force Russia to spend living power and equipment, and itself to restore resources. Experts believe that it is necessary to move to the defense, but in some areas of the front. Recently, the Wall Street Journal published an article in which high -ranking NATO representatives, as well as international security experts, reflect on the situation on the Ukrainian Front.

The authors point out that Russia controls about one fifth territory of Ukraine and seeks to advance in the northeast and east of the country. Our military exerts pressure in the south, but due to the exhaustion of the army, serious promotion of the coming winter is unlikely.

For this reason, given the limited capacity of Ukraine to intercept the initiative on the battlefield against Russian troops, experts propose to move to Kiev to a defensive position to force Russia to spend live power and equipment. "Ukraine has applied this approach to Avdiivka to some extent," journalists write. This approach, according to experts, can lead to "small territorial losses for Ukraine", but will help restore resources to continue the offensive in the future.

The active offensive actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine began in June 2023. The military-political leadership of the country, as well as the Western partners, expected significant success at the front, remembering the results of last year's campaign, when the defense forces liberated Kherson and advanced in the Kharkiv direction.

It was planned that the Armed Forces would advance at a speed of about 30 km a day and in four months would enter the temporarily occupied Crimea, as stated in the October resonance column for the Economist commander -in -chief Valery Zaluzhny. However, this could not be done because the Ukrainian army "stuck in unprecedented minefields in the main direction of the offensive. " It is impossible to step six months, a year - this is not the case in any war.

It is difficult to step constantly, especially when the enemy is strongly entrenched. We do not have enough equipment for serious promotion, we have fewer people than in the Russian Federation, less artillery, shells. The greatest success in the five months of the Armed Forces counter -offensive was achieved in the Zaporozhye direction in the area of ​​the settlement of the robot. Also noticeable events are unfolding on the left bank of the Dnieper, which the media are increasingly reported.

Otherwise, experts have repeatedly called the situation on the front. And the counter -offensive is slow. Western media were poured into the fire. In August, Washington Post, citing American intelligence, wrote that Kiev seems to be not able to reach the main goal - to cut this year the Land Bridge of Russia with Occupied Crimea. They also noted that the lack of good news from the front "overshadows" the mood of "Ukrainians and causes" a sense of collective disappointment.

" In Kiev, criticism was reacted sharply. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba called what was happening, "spit in the face of a Ukrainian soldier" and recommended all critics to come to Ukraine to try to release one square centimeter on their own. NSDC Secretary Alexei Danilov noted that a counter -offensive is not a easy walk, as critics think about it, because we are dealing with a powerful enemy who built a system of defense, protective structures.

And the head of the GUR Ministry of Defense Cyril Budanov stated that Ukraine is not fighting for Western partners. However, in September, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged that the progress of defense forces is really slow, but it is important for Ukrainian defenders to move forward at least a short distance, not giving a response to the President of the aggressor country.

October Valery Zaluzhny's column that the war had moved to a positional stage, it was the reason for the Western media more actively to write about the need for the Armed Forces to move from offensive to defense. Our army is exhausted by offensive actions. Destroying the fortification of the enemy, our army is tired. If we continue to continue, it will not bring us a significant promotion. It is necessary to accumulate strength.

In official Kiev, they intend to continue the counter -offensive, no matter what, even in the winter, when the weather conditions will deteriorate, as the head of the GUR Defense Ministry Kirill Budanov said. According to Major of the Reserve, a veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war Alexei Hetman, the offensive actions that Ukraine conducted for five months spent the forces and means of the army. "Any offensive action is limited in time.

It is impossible to step for six months, a year-this is not the case in any war. It is difficult to stead on constantly, especially when the enemy is very entrenched. We do not have enough equipment for serious advancement, we have fewer people than in the Russian Federation, less artillery, shells. Therefore, it would be appropriate to go to defense to rotate people who are exhausted in five months, to regroup, to put up reserves.

Not the fact that the military leadership will make such a decision, but such proposals should be considered But they are aware, "says Hetman's focus. The expert recalls the Kharkiv operation, during which active offensive actions were replaced by defensive, the army became entrenched in positions. "We are in some sense holding defense. Not in the sense that the Russians. But there was still a stop of offensive action. If partners want to call it defense - let them call.

Our army is exhausted by offensive actions. Destroying enemy fortification, our army is tired. We will continue to continue - it will not bring us a significant promotion. We need to accumulate strength, " - adds the expert. It is impossible to stop because any stop will lead to victims. When the Russians entered the Donbas, we lost thousands of people when they started a full -scale invasion - tens and hundreds of thousands.

According to the hetman, the Armed Forces can go into defense in certain areas of the front, and where possible - for example, in the Crimean direction, continue the offensive. In this case, the front will be localized, which would be the right solution from a military point. The Colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Roman Svitan notes that the Ukrainian army could advance in the area of ​​the robot, on the left bank of the Dnieper, as well as in the Bakhmut area.

In some areas, according to the expert, the Armed Forces have been holding defense for years. For example, in the area of ​​Avdiivka. However, it is impossible to move from the offensive to defense all over the front line. "It is impossible to stop because any stop will lead to victims. When the Russians entered the Donbass-we lost thousands of people when they started a full-scale invasion-tens and hundreds of thousands. If we stop and let them be recharged, we will lose millions of people.

So I believe that the offensive stop is a call for the murder of millions of Ukrainians. We move until we restore our territorial integrity, "says Focus Svitan. The most difficult topic in the question of the transition from the offensive to the defense is the prospect of "territorial losses", which WSJ wrote. According to Svitan, such considerations are unacceptable for Ukraine, as they resemble an information and psychological operation conducted by the enemy on Ukrainian society.

"A serious psychological pressure is exerted. Everywhere with a leitmotif -" Give the occupied territory of the Russian Federation ". In the near future, dozens of retired NATO officers, officials will talk about it because it is invested in invested big money. However, such statements are unacceptable," - said Svitan.