Ukraine’s foreign minister accused critics of the country’s slow counter-offensive of “spitting in the face of Ukrainian soldiers”.
A Ukrainian soldier walks past a destroyed Ukrainian tank near Ropotyn in southern Ukraine. Russia occupied the village, but has now recaptured it in the past week.
The short version
- Ukraine’s foreign minister responded to Western criticism of his country’s slow counter-offensive against the Russian occupiers.
- Dmytro Kuleba accused the critics of “spitting in the face of Ukrainian soldiers”. The Ukrainian officers explained that this tempo was a tactical decision to minimize casualties and weaken Russian defenses before launching a full attack.
- Ukraine also reported progress in recent weeks in the village of Robotyn in southern Ukraine.
The abstract is generated with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) and quality guaranteed by Aftenposten journalists.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba fired a powerful shot on Thursday. He is tired of the stories being spread by the Western media that the country’s counter-offensive against the Russian occupiers is proceeding slowly.
With the help of Western arms worth billions of kroner, Ukraine launched a counterattack three months ago. Ukraine has recovered many villages. Some progress was made, but they were unable to break through the extensive Russian defences.
Western officials have told major US media that the Ukrainian offensive is going worse than they had hoped New York times And Washington Postlast week.
Some have been quoted as saying that Ukraine is using the wrong strategy and using its forces in the wrong places. Russia has long claimed that the Ukrainian offensive failed.
The Ukrainian officers claimed they were moving slowly on purpose. They will reduce Russia’s defensive capability and supply lines first. They believe they can thus cut their losses and be better prepared when they finally launch a full force attack.
In addition, the Ukrainians are forced to defend the areas where the Russians are trying to advance.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba expressed his frustration.
– Shut up
And now the Ukrainians are asking the critics to “shut up”.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Thursday that criticizing the slow progress of the counter-offensive is like spitting in the face of Ukrainian soldiers who sacrifice their lives every day advancing and liberating kilometer after kilometer of Ukrainian territory. to Reuters.
– I recommend all critics to shut up, come to Ukraine and try to free up a square centimeter yourself, he said during a meeting with EU foreign ministers in Spain.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg He told CNN And that the military leaders of Ukraine must be trusted.
– He said that the Ukrainians have repeatedly exceeded expectations.
– We have to trust them. We give advice, we help. But the Ukrainians should make the decisions.
Ukraine may have already shamed criticism of the attack. Last week, Ukraine reported that it had managed to breach several Russian defense lines in the village of Ropotyn in Zaporizhia Province in southern Ukraine.
Now they are trying to widen the bridgehead so they can bring in more Ukrainian forces and supplies.
It’s like trying to blow up a balloon. An officer tells the Wall Street Journal.
The ultimate goal of the offensive in southern Ukraine is to reach the Sea of Azov. Thus, the Ukrainians will be able to divide the Russian forces. Then it will be difficult for the Russians to supply the forces located in Kherson and Crimea.
– He has a good point
Ukraine’s foreign minister has a good point, believes Pali Edstepo, a lieutenant colonel and chief instructor in the Land Force Division of the War College.
It is believed that the critics did not understand the conditions in which the war is taking place. Since last October, the Russians have fortified the front with belts of trenches several kilometers deep, tank ditches, and hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of mines.
Another thing is that Western principles that the Ukrainians have been criticized for not using require a high level of training and air superiority. And in the Iraq wars, the Americans could bomb everything before they advanced. All directions on the ground are supported by massive air superiority. There is no such thing in Ukraine.
On these terms, Yedstepo believes the Ukrainians have now found the perfect measure. Something reminiscent of what was used in the last two years of the First World War. They clear one trench after another with smaller forces supported by their artillery. In this way they work their way forward.
Are any of the criticisms justified?
– It is true that the Ukrainians were not able to build new, larger, well-functioning units. But this is very difficult and time consuming even under absolutely ideal conditions. Precisely because it is so difficult to operate such larger units, they have been able to find a way to perform an attack that exploits their strengths. They use small units with well-motivated soldiers.
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