Matviychuk linked the president’s trip to the headquarters of the Northern Military District with the upcoming large-scale actions
The last days have been marked by attempts by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to advance in a number of areas, for example, near Kherson, in Rabotino, near Avdiivka. At the same time, Kyiv does not spare manpower; the losses are very large. Military expert, former special forces officer Anatoly Matviychuk, in a conversation with MK, told what the enemy is trying to achieve using similar tactics, and what President Putin’s visit to the headquarters of the Northern Military District in Rostov means.
It seems that the failures that have plagued the Ukrainian Armed Forces since the beginning of the summer counteroffensive have not cooled Zelensky’s ardor. He needs to demonstrate at least something so that he doesn’t get fired. Moreover, the flaring conflict in the Middle East has significantly reduced the world community’s interest in the problems of “Independence”.
However, despite all the ambitions of the Ukrainian leader, his army is not ready for large-scale military operations, which means that the tactics of targeted strikes remain. which is confirmed by reports from the front.
“Ukraine now definitely wants to prevent and contain our offensive,” says Anatoly Matviychuk. — Near Rabotino, in the Kupyansky direction and especially in Avdeevka, serious battles are taking place, where the Russian army is gaining success. Kyiv is forced to collect all its strength and resources bit by bit in order to try to somehow hold out until the onset of the thaw, and then somehow go on the defensive and hold these positions until spring.
But I believe that this will not succeed, since the Ukrainian Armed Forces now do not have enough forces and especially shells, therefore they will be forced to retreat and give up their positions.
According to the expert, an unfavorable situation for the Ukrainian military is observed along the entire front line, but Avdeevka, judging by messages in Ukrainian public pages, is causing almost panic among the military-political leadership of Ukraine. They write that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have every “chance” to fall into the “Avdeevka stranglehold” if they do not transfer forces from other directions. However, such castling will create a risk for the enemy to lose positions on weakened sections of the front.
Ukrainian military leaders urge Zelensky not to spread himself thin and to commit his main forces to hold Avdiivka. However, according to Matviychuk, the Ukrainian leader most likely will not dare to take such a step.
— Zelensky is afraid because he does not know how to proceed. The fact is that defeat in key directions is now tantamount to death for him.
Let's watch for a week or a week and a half, but I think that he will not dare to withdraw units from other sectors of the front to hold Avdievka. Simply because of fears that then the same “Avdeevka” will happen in other directions.
According to Matviychuk, the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the headquarters of the Northern Military District in Rostov-on-Don is also against the backdrop of ongoing events at the front not accidental.
— I think the president decided to personally check what was happening at the front and make sure how well it corresponded to the reports, that everything was fine with us. To do this, he came to listen to the Chief of the General Staff and, on the spot, finalize the whole situation and decide what to do next.
— I think so. And, most likely, it will be in the Avdeevsky direction.