After 6 months of war and a struggling Russian army, the Ukrainians strike again. They are especially trying to recapture the Kherson region.
A soldier hoists the Ukrainian flag over Vasiopoli Hospital. Very iconic. A week ago, Kyiv launched its counteroffensive. Many villages have been liberated. A surgery prepared for weeks. First it was necessary to bomb enemy military bases. The timing was perfect. “Until the end of October and the beginning of March, the change in temperature will make real operations impossible, and in any case very complicated. It makes the possibility of starting this type of mission very low. It was now. Or next year.”Researcher Nicholas Gossett of the Royal Higher Institute for Defense explains.
The morale of the troops also increases. Humorously, some share pieces of life on the front. “This is how we eat”Taunts a Ukrainian soldier under the sound of bombs.
A surgery we don’t know much about. Ukrainian civil servants impose blackout. The Russians are forced to retreat. The aim of the Ukrainians? Drive the Russians across the Dnieper River before recapturing Kherson. “There is a kind of energy in favor of Ukraine, even if it is played village by village. But the road to Kherson will be long.”Nicolas Gosset continues.
After 6 months on the defensive, Ukraine goes on the offensive for the first time. This dimension is strategic but also symbolic, at a time when European allies doubt the price to pay. “Ahead of winter, it’s a decisive one in the context of energy, geopolitical tensions, etc.The Royal Higher Institute of Defense researcher adds.
Russia temporarily suspends referendum on annexation of southern provinces The Kremlin fears a political fiasco, compounded by a military defeat. Although the war is still far away.
“Total coffee junkie. Tv ninja. Unapologetic problem solver. Beer expert.”