On Monday, Ukraine launched a much-anticipated counterattack on Russia in the south, including Kherson, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to “oust” Russian forces from the country.
In his nightly address, Zelensky asserted, “If they want to survive, it is time for the Russian military to flee. Go home.” He added that those unwilling to return to Russia, “let such occupiers surrender, and we will guarantee them compliance with all norms of the Geneva Conventions.”
Zelensky advisor Oleksiy Arestovych says that Ukraine is planning a slow counter-offensive
— Samuel Ramani (@SamRamani2) August 30, 2022
The aim is not a blitz to seize Kherson but to weaken Russia's military presence in a gradual attritional manner to pave the way for Ukraine to recapture all of its territory
His statement comes after Ukraine’s Southern Defense Forces spokeswoman, Natalya Humenyuk, confirmed to Ukrainian state media Suspilne that the Ukrainian forces had “broken through the first line” of Russian defence near Russia-controlled Kherson and that the attack “is exhausting the enemy and not giving him the opportunity to advance.” She noted that attacks on over 10 Russian ammunition depots and southern logistical routes over the last week had “unquestionably weakened the enemy.”
She cautioned, however, that Russian forces in southern Ukraine are “rather powerful” and that “any military operation requires silence,” adding, “We must realise that any actions, even if they are very inspiring, must be carried out and have [a] logical conclusion, and only then they can be effective.”
(1/8) From early on 29 August 2022, several brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces increased the weight of artillery fires in front line sectors across southern Ukraine.
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) August 30, 2022
Nevertheless, in an interview with CNBC on Monday, Humenyuk revealed, “Under the pressure of our actions, the enemy began to retreat. It is currently recorded that the enemy has withdrawn from some of its positions.” The British Ministry of Defence affirmed the increased artillery strikes in the south on Tuesday but said that “it is not yet possible to confirm the extent of Ukrainian advances.”
However, the deputy head of the military-civilian administration of Kherson, Kirill Stremousov, called it “fake” news, “a kind of illusion, a movie,” and “a fantasy,” asserting that “nobody advances anywhere, nobody retreats.” Moreover, he went on to say that the counteroffensive being launched on Kherson for the last three months has increased the “people’s desire to end this nightmare and come to the referendum,” referring to Moscow’s recent announcement that referendums would soon be held in Russian-controlled territories.
Crimea head Sergey Aksyonov also refuted reports of a Ukraine counterattack in the South, calling it “another falsehood by Ukrainian propaganda, which was readily picked up in the West.” However, the Russian Defence Ministry acknowledged Ukraine’s counterattack in Mykolaiv and Kherson, claiming that the “enemy’s offensive attempt failed miserably” and they suffered heavy casualties.
Russian news is going nuts. Seems Ukraine has breached Russian lines in Kherson region with the use of tanks…
— Jason Jay Smart (@officejjsmart) August 29, 2022
Conflicting as to if it is 🇺🇦 taking advantage of a tactical weakness in 🇷🇺 lines or a strategic, full-out counter offensive.
News developing. (Pic: Novaya Kahovka). pic.twitter.com/vkAyAqtdFi
Before starting the counteroffensive in southern Ukraine, Zelensky on Sunday held a meeting with the representatives of the defence and security sectors, including the Security Service of Ukraine and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and affirmed that the Russian forces “will feel its consequences.” “No terrorist will go unanswered for attacks on our cities,” he declared.
Following the counteroffensive on Monday, presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted that “the only possible option for negotiations with Russia is being conducted by a special Ukrainian delegation in the southern and other directions of the frontline,” apparently rejecting all attempts at talks to end the war. In this respect, Zelensky remarked that Russia is “not ready for negotiations.”
Today, the only possible option for negotiations with Russia is being conducted by a special Ukrainian delegation in the southern and other directions of the frontline. "Negotiations" are going well. We expect new "compromises" in the form of "gestures of goodwill".
— Михайло Подоляк (@Podolyak_M) August 29, 2022
Though Ukraine has been preparing to take back the territories conquered by Russia at the beginning of the war, an unnamed United States (US) intelligence official told CNN that the US-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) have been a game-changer in the ongoing war. Ukraine has also successfully deployed the Resistance Operating Concept developed by American and European officials in 2013 during the Georgia-Russia war.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu admitted last week that the Russian operations had been slowed down “consciously” in order to prevent civilian casualties recently. Calling it “almost certainly deliberate disinformation,” the British Defence Intelligence revealed that Shoigu has been “sidelined” and “likely been removed” since “operational commanders are informing (Russian President Vladimir) Putin directly about the progress of the war.”
"They drew first blood, not me."
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) August 30, 2022
John Rambo
Total combat losses of the enemy from Feb 24 to Aug 30: pic.twitter.com/rRaWzShcRS
Additionally, President Vladimir Putin ordered the expansion of the Russian forces from 137,000 to 1.15 million last week. Approximately 47,550 Russian troops have reportedly died and a further 27,550 have been injured during the six-month-long Ukraine war, Russian army officials have admitted to Russian media outlet Important Stories that there is a catastrophic shortage of armed personnel. A senior US defence official noted that Moscow is “unlikely to succeed” in its recruitment drive, as “many of these new recruits have been observed as older, unfit and ill-trained.”