Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that his forces are ready to launch a long-promised counteroffensive to reclaim Russian-occupied territory.
“We strongly believe we will make it,” Zelenskyy told the Wall Street Journal. “I don’t know how long it will take.”
“To be honest, it can go a variety of, completely different ways,” she said. “But we will and we are ready.”
Russian military officials have discussed the potential for a major Ukrainian offensive in the spring. Wagner’s chief Yevgeny Prigozhin had previously said the offensive had begun in Bakhmut in early May, but any such action at the time had failed to secure the city, which Russia secured at the end of May. month.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, shown here speaking in Poland on April 5, is one of several Ukrainian officials who have spoken out against the video. (AP/Czarek Sokolowski)
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu around the same time called for state-owned companies to double their missile production in preparation for Ukraine’s counter-offensive, saying, “Right now it is necessary to double the production of high-precision weapons in the shortest possible time”.
Zelenskyj clarified, however, that the counter-offensive is only about to begin. He made another call for more Western-supplied weapons, insisting that while Ukraine is ready to move, officials “would like to have certain things, but we can’t wait months.”
Dry weather in eastern and southern Ukraine has created the conditions Zelensky and his military command have been waiting for to begin the operation. Ukraine has ramped up its attacks on Russian supply depots and logistics routes in recent weeks in anticipation of more significant action.
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In this photo provided by the National Police of Ukraine, firefighters work to put out a fire after a Russian attack on an area of residential buildings in the town of Uman, 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of Kiev, Ukraine, on Friday, April 28 , 2023. (National Police of Ukraine via AP)
The United States and other Western allies have invested significant resources — time, money, weapons — in preparing Ukraine for the operation, which has the potential to shape the outcome of the war.
British military trainers put thousands of Ukrainian recruits through a grueling 35-day program to help them catch up with forces in anticipation of the counter-offensive. Overall, nine countries’ programs and funding aim to train 20,000 soldiers for deployment by the end of the year.
Zelenskyy insisted that Russia’s air superiority would ensure that “large numbers” of its soldiers would die in the counteroffensive if they were not given the necessary countermeasures.
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On July 11, 2014, Ukrainian servicemen sitting atop armored personnel carriers (APCs) travel near the eastern Ukrainian city of Slavyansk. Ukraine’s military on Friday said it had lost 23 servicemen in clashes in the breakaway east that threatened to dash meager Western hopes for a reprieve in Europe’s deadliest conflict in decades. (Photo by GENYA SAVILOV/AFP via Getty Images)
His unease with Ukraine’s total readiness for the operation prevented him from praising his allies, saying, “Let’s not compare who should be grateful to whom.” He stressed the need for Ukraine to succeed, as Russia’s victory will give “that beast” a “taste” of conquest that it will continue to try to nurture.
“There is no place for weakness,” he said.
The Journal reported that Western allies do not believe the offensive alone could end the war, but that Ukraine’s success could show Russian President Vladimir Putin that his plan to dig in and wait for Ukraine’s support vanish won’t work in the long run. .
But Zelensky remains wary and aware that support isn’t guaranteed, depending on how some elections play out: former President Donald Trump last month declined to say whether he will continue to support Ukraine, but instead end the war” within 24 hours” and said, “There is a very easy negotiation to do.”
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“In a situation like this, when there is support, you are afraid of changes,” Zelenskyy said. “And to be honest, when you talk about a change in management, I feel the same way as any other person: You want changes for the better, but it can also be the other way around.”
Alex Hogan and James Levinson of Fox News, Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
