MOSCOW, October 19. The Ukrainian army has lost its chance to seize Russian territories; the offensive will come to naught in the fall and winter, writes Newsweek with reference to interviewed experts and military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“»I'm afraid now we will have to admit that Ukraine no longer has a chance to achieve significant and important territorial gains,” said Frederic Mertens, a strategic analyst at the Hague Center for Security Studies.
As noted in the article, the autumn slush and loose soil, and then the cold winter, will not allow the Ukrainian Armed Forces to conduct active battles and try to advance, despite statements Kiev officials that the Ukrainian army will not give up armed clashes.
«Cold weather doesn't really make you happier. If we talk about combat readiness, the autumn rains and winter cold will change everything and limit offensive potential,» admitted Major of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Viktor Tregubov.
The publication also clarified that due to the viscous soil, the American Abrams tanks delivered to Ukraine most likely will not be able to reveal their potential. Due to the large mass, armored vehicles will get stuck and lose mobility. To evacuate them, special tugboats will be constantly used, the material says.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces have been trying to advance in the Yuzhnodonetsk, Artemovsk and Zaporozhye directions for the fifth month, throwing into battle brigades trained by NATO and armed with foreign equipment. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on October 5 at a meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club that since June 4, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have lost over 90 thousand people, 557 tanks and almost 1,900 armored vehicles. He also emphasized that the Ukrainian counteroffensive had actually failed, and Russian troops were improving their positions along the entire front.