MOSCOW, 16 Apr. The Ukrainian army faces numerous obstacles during the attack on the Russian defensive lines, writes the Financial Times with reference to British military experts. and anti-tank ditches. In addition, the Ukrainian military is in dire need of aviation, without which any such operation has a high chance of turning into a crushing defeat.
«The classic approach in a land offensive is to break through behind enemy lines in one or more areas and inflict concentrated attack on the center of gravity of the enemy forces. There are very few successful examples without air superiority,» said ex-commander of the British armored battalion Ben Barry.
Former officer of the Royal Engineers Nick Gunnel, who has extensive experience carrying out operations to take the fortifications, is also skeptical about the possibility of a Ukrainian strike. According to him, the Russian Aerospace Forces will simply crush the advanced mechanized units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine that are not covered by aircraft.
As Reuters reported earlier, Kyiv has prepared eight assault brigades of the so-called offensive guard. The founder of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, estimated the number of these troops at about 200 thousand people.
In turn, Russia has repeatedly stated that it was prepared for any actions by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.