The Ukrainian Armed Forces are making progress in almost all areas of the frontline, but the pace of the counteroffensive is slower than expected. Find out why the de-occupation of the territories takes more time and what is the key problem of the Ukrainian troops

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The pace of the Ukrainian counteroffensive "did not meet the expectations" of some Western experts, which has sparked a wave of heated discussions about "forecasts." However, most of these comments do not take into account an important nuance, namely that russian troops were actively preparing for the counteroffensive. How russia's preparations affected the course and pace of the offensive and what became the key problem faced by the Ukrainian Armed Forces is described further in our article with reference to The Washington Post.

Why is the counteroffensive moving slowly?

The russian army began preparing for Ukraine's offensive long before the actual counteroffensive was launched. Thus, the occupiers not only built fortifications, but also densely mined the areas in front of their key positions and defense lines. For this purpose, the occupation forces used anti-tank and anti-personnel mines, as well as tripwires.

According to The Washington Post, minefields in southern Ukraine stretch 5-16 kilometers deep into the occupied territories. This is what forced Ukraine to slow down its offensive and revise its strategy. 

How has Ukraine's counteroffensive strategy changed?

In order to reduce losses among manpower and military equipment, the Ukrainian side stopped trying to break through the defense with armored vehicles and tanks and preferred a slow but steady advance. Thus, according to some estimates, the revised strategy has halved the losses in Western equipment - during the deployment of counteroffensive operations, this figure reached 20%, and today it is at 10%.

In addition, according to an anonymous report from a Ukrainian official, the state did not receive the demining equipment it had requested on the eve of the counteroffensive. Total deliveries amounted to less than 15% of the amount requested by Ukraine.

As a result, sappers are forced to demine the areas manually. And the small amount of equipment that the Armed Forces have has become the main target of the occupiers. Moreover, russian troops are resorting to re-mining the areas that Ukraine is clearing with the help of drones.

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Why is the West putting pressure on Ukraine and emphasizing the slow pace of the offensive?

Although the vast majority of Western leaders say that the pace of liberation of the territories does not meet their expectations, they note that this does not affect their support for Ukraine. 

At the same time, Ukrainian soldiers undergoing training abroad have faced total misunderstanding from their instructors. Thus, according to the German media Welt, when asked what to do if there is a minefield on the way, Ukrainian tankers were told by German instructors to "just drive around the minefields." 

This misunderstanding is attributed to the fact that German training maps show minefields as areas measuring 100x200 meters, while on the actual battlefield, russia has mined hectares of land. So, it becomes obvious that those who put pressure on Ukraine and say that "the counteroffensive did not meet expectations" simply do not understand what is actually happening at the front and what every meter of liberated Ukrainian land is worth.

Let's remember that the counter-offensive is not a magical movie with an exciting plot, and every meter of liberated Ukrainian territory is the life of Ukrainian soldiers! Let's help the army and bring victory closer together! The Armed Forces of Ukraine are Titans!

We remind you! In recent weeks, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have liberated more territory than russia seized in 2023. We told you what is happening on the front line, where the Ukrainian army has made the most progress and what victories we can already talk about at the front in our previous article.

Photo: Donetsk separate territorial defense brigade

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