Ukraine silences critics of sluggish counteroffensive.
Ukraine Tells Critics to ”Shut Up” as Counteroffensive Progresses
Ukraine has responded strongly to critics who claim that its counteroffensive against Russia is moving too slowly. In a bold statement, Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmitro Kuleba told reporters to “shut up” and challenged them to come to Ukraine and try to liberate even a square centimeter of territory themselves.
The offensive, which began three months ago with the support of Western military equipment, has seen Ukraine recapture several villages. However, it has yet to breach Russia’s main defenses, leading to doubts and criticism from Western officials.
Despite the criticism, Ukrainian commanders argue that they are intentionally moving slowly to weaken Russia’s defenses and logistics before launching a full-scale attack. NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg has expressed trust in the Ukrainian commanders and emphasized that they should be the ones making decisions.
Advancing Towards Russia’s Main Defenses
After months of intense fighting, Ukraine’s forces have finally reached Russia’s main defensive lines. They are currently advancing in an area between the villages of Novopokropivka and Verbove, searching for a way around Russia’s formidable fortifications.
A breakthrough in this area would test Russia’s deeper defenses, which Ukraine hopes will be less heavily fortified. Ukrainian commanders have claimed that they have already breached the most difficult line, but this has not been independently verified.
Ukraine rarely discloses details of its offensive operations, but reports suggest that there have been unspecified successes near Novopokropivka. Ukrainian forces have also reported a “positive dynamic” near Bakhmut, where they have been advancing around a city previously captured by Russia.
Drone Attacks and Escalation
In addition to ground operations, Ukraine has escalated its use of drone attacks. These attacks have targeted both Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine and deep within Russia itself. Russia has reported drone attacks in its neighboring Bryansk region and even in occupied Crimea.
While Ukraine’s Western allies generally prohibit the use of supplied weapons to attack Russian territory, they acknowledge Ukraine’s right to carry out such attacks on military targets using its own weapons. These recent attacks have brought the war closer to home for many Russians.
Russia is also dealing with the aftermath of a mutiny by Wagner, a private army that played a significant role in its winter offensive. The leader of Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, and his main lieutenants were killed in an air crash. The Kremlin denies involvement in the crash.
Despite the challenges and criticism, Ukraine remains determined to press forward with its counteroffensive against Russia.
(Writing by Peter Graff; editing by Alex Richardson)
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