Ukraine changes counteroffensive tactics: Russian army overstretched, begins to retreat

The New York Times reported the information.

The outlet notes that the Ukrainian military command has changed its tactics, focusing on depleting Russian troops with long-range artillery and missiles instead of storming minefields under fire. A troop buildup is underway in the south, and a second wave of Western-trained forces is launching mostly small-scale attacks to penetrate Russian defense lines.

But the first results of the new tactics were mixed. While Ukrainian forces have recaptured several villages, they have yet to achieve the large-scale gains that characterized their successes in Kherson and Kharkiv last fall.

“The counteroffensive itself hasn’t failed; it will drag on for several months into the fall,” said Michael Kofman, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace who recently visited the front lines.

US officials worry that a return to old tactics could cause Ukraine to waste precious ammunition supplies, which could play into Putin's hands and put Ukraine at a disadvantage in a war of attrition.

Some analysts question whether this second wave, based on smaller unit attacks, will generate enough combat power and momentum to allow Ukrainian forces to break through the Russian defenses.

Gian Luca Capovin and Alexander Stronell, analysts at the British intelligence company Janes, said that a small unit attack strategy "is extremely likely to result in mass casualties, equipment loss and minimal territorial gains" for Ukraine.

Other experts believe that Ukraine may well return to large-scale attacks, but it is now important to break through Russia's defenses. After all, offense is always harder than defense.

"I do not think they’re abandoning combined arms tactics," said Philip M. Breedlove, an Air Force general who was supreme allied commander for NATO's European Command. "If they were to get through the first, second or third lines of defense, I think you’re going to see the definition of combined arms."

In addition, last week's increase in Ukrainian forces came at a time when Ukrainians were clearing paths through Russian defenses and began to deplete Russian troops and artillery.

Thus, a Western official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Russians are overstretched and still experiencing problems with logistics, supplies, personnel and weapons.

General Breedlove agreed and said he still expects a Ukrainian counteroffensive to put Russia at a disadvantage.

"The Ukrainians are in a place now where they understand how they want to employ their forces," he said. "And we’re starting to see the Russians move backwards."

• According to the Ukrainian General Staff, as of the evening of August 2, the Ukrainian Armed Forces eliminated 2 Russian command posts, an air defense system and 2 warehouses.

• In total, Russia's losses in the full-scale war against Ukraine reached 247,230 soldiers. Russian occupying forces are trying to regain their lost ground in Donetsk region, namely in the Bakhmut and Shakhtarsk directions.