{"id":577431,"date":"2023-06-05T20:57:50","date_gmt":"2023-06-05T17:57:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/ukraines-counteroffensive-appears-to-have-started-heres-what-to-know\/"},"modified":"2023-06-05T20:57:50","modified_gmt":"2023-06-05T17:57:50","slug":"ukraines-counteroffensive-appears-to-have-started-heres-what-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ukraines-counteroffensive-appears-to-have-started-heres-what-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"#Ukraine\u2019s counteroffensive appears to have started: Here\u2019s what to know"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a33a11b8bc9a\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a33a11b8bc9a\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ukraines-counteroffensive-appears-to-have-started-heres-what-to-know\/#Most_of_the_fighting_is_taking_place_near_a_few_towns\" >Most of the fighting is taking place near a few towns<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ukraines-counteroffensive-appears-to-have-started-heres-what-to-know\/#The_operation_is_likely_just_the_beginning\" >The operation is likely just the beginning<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ukraines-counteroffensive-appears-to-have-started-heres-what-to-know\/#Ukraine_remains_mostly_silent\" >Ukraine remains mostly silent<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ukraines-counteroffensive-appears-to-have-started-heres-what-to-know\/#Ukraines_larger_counteroffensive_faces_political_challenges\" >Ukraine\u2019s larger counteroffensive faces political challenges<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/AP23143275815095-e1685227278134.jpg?w=900\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Ukraine began launching attacks in the eastern Donetsk region over the weekend in what <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ears to be the first wave of Kyiv\u2019s long-anticipated counteroffensive.<\/p>\n<p>Ukrainian commanders have sent in mechanized brigades, including heavy battle tanks, along with conventional troops to assault several locations in the southern Donetsk region, where Russian troops are entrenched.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr1_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>One Ukrainian official said its military is \u201cshifting to offensive actions\u201d in some areas, but Kyiv has largely remained silent on the attacks. A range of western and Russian analysts are reporting that the operation signals the start of the counteroffensive. <\/p>\n<p>The heavy fighting in southern Donetsk indicates Ukraine may be attempting to strike through perceived weaknesses in the fortified Russian lines of eastern Ukraine after weeks of probing, though Ukrainian soldiers have yet to make any serious advances.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what to know about the operations and Ukraine\u2019s counteroffensive.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Most_of_the_fighting_is_taking_place_near_a_few_towns\"><\/span>Most of the fighting is taking place near a few towns<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Russian military bloggers and officials say Ukraine is primarily assaulting the area surrounding two urban towns in the southern Donetsk region: Novodonetsk and Velyka Novosilka.<\/p>\n<p>Both towns lie near the southern Zaporizhzhia region, which military analysts say Ukraine may target in order to cut off a land bridge and a major supply hub linked to Russian-occupied Crimea.<\/p>\n<p>The main campaign appears to be centered on Novodonetsk, which is nestled between Velkya Novosilka and Vuhledar, a city largely held by Ukrainian forces that Russia has attempted to capture for months.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr2_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>The offensive around Novodonetsk began on Sunday, according to Russian analysts, and the first wave of the attack largely failed.<\/p>\n<p>Russia\u2019s Defense Ministry claimed in a Telegram post that more than 250 Ukrainian servicemen were killed, while 16 tanks, 26 armored fighting vehicles, and 14 vehicles were destroyed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe enemy did not achieve their goals,\u201d The Defense Ministry wrote.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr3_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>However, Ukrainian troops regrouped in the early morning hours on Monday and struck again, this time with more force, wrote Russian military blog account WarGonzo.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Armed Forces of Ukraine managed to form a much more serious armored fist,\u201d it said. \u201cMuch more equipment is involved than the day before.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Multiple Russian military analysts claimed Ukraine had deployed Germany\u2019s Leopard II tanks, along with infantry fighting vehicles such as American-made Strykers.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr4_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Alexander Khodakovsky, the commander of the pro-Russian rebel group Vostok Battalion, said the situation was growing \u201cdifficult.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe enemy, having felt our weak points, is stepping up his efforts,\u201d he wrote on Telegram. \u201cAs I expected yesterday \u2014 smelling the smell of success, the enemy will throw additional forces into the battle.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While the main operation appears to be in southern Donetsk, Russian analysts have also reported Ukrainian operations further north in the Donetsk, near the town of Soledar and city of Bakhmut.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr5_ab\"><\/aside>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_operation_is_likely_just_the_beginning\"><\/span>The operation is likely just the beginning <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Despite growing pressure on Russian forces, Ukraine has yet to commit its main forces to the battle.<\/p>\n<p>Col. Oleksandr Bakulin, who leads a contingent of troops near Bakhmut, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/International\/ukrainian-counteroffensive-shaping-amid-series-meant-destabilize-russian\/story?id=99789793\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/International\/ukrainian-counteroffensive-shaping-amid-series-meant-destabilize-russian\/story?id=99789793\">told ABC News<\/a> the fighting underway now was part of a bigger plan and the clashes in south Donetsk would \u201ceventually lead to the counteroffensive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Alexander Kots, a Russian military blogger with more than 600,000 subscribers on Telegram, said the main forces could be introduced \u201cin a completely different area.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr6_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Igor Girkin, a former Russian military officer and now a prominent Russian military blogger, said he was \u201cterribly worried about Maryinka,\u201d suggesting Ukraine might strike there in a surprise attack.<\/p>\n<p>Maryinka is a Russian-held city just south of Bakhmut and north of Vuhledar.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ukraine_remains_mostly_silent\"><\/span>Ukraine remains mostly silent <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Besides Bakulin\u2019s vague comments to ABC <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a>, Ukraine\u2019s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said on Telegram the military was \u201cshifting to offensive actions\u201d in some areas around Bakhmut. <\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr7_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>\u201cDespite stiff resistance and the enemy\u2019s attempts to hold the occupied lines and positions, our units advanced in several directions during the fighting,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n<p>But Ukrainian officials have been largely silent on the developments. <\/p>\n<p>Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky has not mentioned the counteroffensive operations in his nightly addresses for the past two days, and his usually vocal assistants remain silent.<\/p>\n<p>Ukraine\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General<\/a> Staff of the Armed Forces has posted updates of the battlefield in the past two days without writing anything about the counteroffensive.<\/p>\n<p>Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/oleksiireznikov\/status\/1665368742354731045?s=20\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/oleksiireznikov\/status\/1665368742354731045?s=20\"> released a video on Twitter<\/a> showing a number of Ukrainian troops putting a finger to their lips.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPlans love silence,\u201d a caption in the video reads. \u201cThere will be no announcement about the start.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>U.S. officials <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/live\/2023\/06\/05\/world\/russia-ukraine-news\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/live\/2023\/06\/05\/world\/russia-ukraine-news\">told the New York Times<\/a> the surge in attacks may be a sign that the counteroffensive has begun.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ukraines_larger_counteroffensive_faces_political_challenges\"><\/span>Ukraine\u2019s larger counteroffensive faces political challenges<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Kyiv has prepared for months to retake territory in eastern Ukraine and received nearly all of the promised military equipment for the counteroffensive in April.<\/p>\n<p>With the eyes of the world on the Ukrainian operation, Ukraine faces sky-high expectations to succeed, potentially imperiling continued western support if troops fail to retake significant chunks of territory from Russia.<\/p>\n<p>Ukraine surprised the world last year by beating back Russian troops from the west and reclaiming the Kherson and Kharkiv regions. <\/p>\n<p>However, Russian forces, who once underestimated the strength of Ukraine\u2019s resolve, have spent months fortifying their lines in eastern Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>U.S. officials say Ukraine has what it needs to break through the lines and succeed, but they have moderated expectations, with White House national security spokesperson John Kirby last month saying Ukraine must know how to use the equipment to seize victory.<\/p>\n<p>On Monday, Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Ukraine was \u201cvery well prepared\u201d for the operation but did not assess the outcome of the counteroffensive.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think it\u2019s too early to tell what outcomes are going to happen,\u201d <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CNNThisMorning\/status\/1665701432677502979?s=20\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CNNThisMorning\/status\/1665701432677502979?s=20\">Milley told CNN<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Copyright 2023 Nexstar <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Media<\/a> Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more News articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/policy\/defense\/4034623-ukraines-counteroffensive-appears-to-have-started-heres-what-to-know\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ukraine began launching attacks in the eastern Donetsk region over the weekend in what appears to be the first wave of Kyiv\u2019s long-anticipated counteroffensive. Ukrainian commanders have sent in mechanized brigades, including heavy battle tanks, along with conventional troops to assault several locations in the southern Donetsk region, where Russian troops are entrenched. One Ukrainian&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":577432,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/AP23143275815095-e1685227278134.jpg?w=1280","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[143746,134343,143747,73798,134661,134702,71525,115,143748,143749,140390,4975,143750,134345,4965,70868,143751,100713,143752,127528],"class_list":["post-577431","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-alexander-kots","tag-campaign","tag-counter-offensive","tag-defense","tag-energy-environment","tag-mark-milley","tag-national-security","tag-news","tag-novodonetsk","tag-oleksandry-bakulin","tag-oleksii-reznikov","tag-russia","tag-russian-defense-ministry","tag-state-watch","tag-technology","tag-ukraine","tag-velkya-novosilka","tag-volodymyr-zelensky","tag-vuhledar","tag-war-in-ukraine"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/577431","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=577431"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/577431\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/577432"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=577431"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=577431"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=577431"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}