US officials name main Ukrainian counteroffensive direction: operation would last up to three weeks – NYT

The New York Times writes about it

U.S. officials said Wednesday they were told in Ukraine that the army is now engaged in the main thrust of the counteroffensive, moving more troops and equipment to the westernmost of the three fronts, near Zaporizhzhia.

The officials, who discussed Ukraine's military plans on condition of anonymity, named three reasons:

First, Ukrainian forces advanced slowly but steadily, clearing a path through dense Russian minefields and other fortifications.

Secondly, they saw an opportunity with the dismissal of the regional Russian commander, Major General Ivan Popov, to use the turmoil in the local Russian leadership.

And third, Ukrainian artillery barrages consistently attacked Russian artillery, ammunition depots, and command posts in areas far behind the front lines, creating vulnerabilities that could be exploited if advancing Ukrainian forces were able to break through Russian defenses and wreak havoc in the rear.

“The Russians are stretched,” a Western official said on Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss operational details and intelligence assessments. “They are still experiencing problems with logistics, supply, personnel and weapons. They’re feeling the pressure.”

In Ukraine, the US has been told that increased Ukrainian forces will try to push south through Russian minefields and other fortifications toward the city of Tokmak and, if successful, Melitopol, near the coast.

Their goal is to sever the so-called land bridge between Russian-occupied Ukraine and the Crimean peninsula, or at least advance far enough to put the strategically important peninsula within range of Ukrainian artillery.

The new operation, if successful, could take one to three weeks, Ukrainian officials have told officials in Washington.

However, little has gone according to plan since the counteroffensive began in early June, and White House and Pentagon officials said Wednesday they were watching the ramp-up with great interest.

“This is the big test,” said one senior official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. 

Ukraine’s counteroffensive

On June 4, the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched a counteroffensive on the southern frontline, continuing a series of offensive operations near Bakhmut and in other directions.

On June 11, the Ukrainian Armed Forces announced the liberation of Blahodatne, Neskuchne, and Makarivka settlements, near the border of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.

On June 24, the Ukrainian Defense Forces officially confirmed the liberation of the territories near Krasnohorivka in the Donetsk region, which had been under occupation since 2014.

On June 26, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar also said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had de-occupied the village of Rivnopil, Donetsk region. It is located in the Volnovakha district of the Donetsk region. The Russian army occupied the village in March 2022.

British Defence Minister Ben Wallace stated that Ukraine has already liberated more territory as part of the summer counteroffensive campaign than Russia had captured during the entire winter offensive.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday, July 23, that the Defense Forces have retaken half of the territory that Russia has occupied since the start of the full-scale invasion.

On July 25, the American ISW announced that Ukraine's counteroffensive would not be quick and easy.

On July 25, in the direction of Bakhmut, the Defense Forces knocked out the Russians from their positions near Andriivka, in the direction of Staromayorske, they were successful and are consolidating on the positions they achieved. The Armed Forces restrained the Russian advance in the Marinka area, and repelled enemy attacks in other directions.

On July 26, the General Staff reported that the Defense Forces continue to advance in three directions, while the Russian occupiers are trying to regain their lost position near Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia region. Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Maliar said that the Defense Forces continue to successfully conduct offensive operations on the southern flank around Bakhmut. Fierce fighting continues in the area of the settlements of Klishchiivka, Kurdyumivka, Andriivka.