The Ukrainian counteroffensive is expected for months. Now Zelensky and an adviser contradict each other. In the West, however, they believe in the counter-strike.
Kyiv – Confusion over the Ukrainian counteroffensive: Kyiv is not yet ready to launch the long-awaited counterstrike against Russian forces, claimed Igor Zhovkva, a close associate of Volodymyr Zelensky. "If you want to launch a successful counter-offensive, you need everything that is available," Zhovka told the Sunday Times. He added that Ukraine needs tanks, armored vehicles and artillery. "So we probably don't have enough," Zhovka said.
In doing so, he contradicts Zelensky, who declared only a few days ago that they were ready for the counteroffensive and did not want to wait any longer. It is uncertain whether Kiev is actually divided, or whether there is a calculation behind Zhovka's claims. In any case, Ukrainian officials have stated in recent months – when Western analysts were expecting the "spring offensive" – that the success of the counteroffensive depends on supplies from the West. Operational details were not disclosed at any time.
The Russian region of Belgorod has been under increasing shelling for months. The photo from November 2022 shows a damaged chemical power plant in the city of Schebekino. © Stringer/AFP
West expects Ukraine to counteroffensive soon – "nervousness and uncertainty" in Russia
Zelensky, who assured in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that the counterstrike would be and would be successful, also called for more Patriot missile defense systems from the United States at the same time. As far as the counteroffensive is concerned, however, the army, despite everything, "cannot wait for months." On Telegram, Hanna Maliar, Ukraine's deputy defense minister, said there would be "no launch announcement" for the counteroffensive. In addition, she mentioned that "plans love silence." Her counterpart, Volodymyr Havrylov, told Reuters that they would retaliate "with the aim of liberating our territories this year."
Ukraine is apparently still not revealing any details about the military plans. "Authorities have begun to enforce a stricter regime of silence on operations in preparation for the upcoming counteroffensives," the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a U.S.-based think tank, wrote in an assessment on Saturday. In the same report, however, the ISW argued that the counteroffensive was imminent – this was supported at the moment, among other things, by "the Russian overemphasis on smaller tactical battles".
The propaganda from Russia would also illustrate "nervousness and uncertainty with regard to the upcoming counteroffensive," the ISW wrote. (nak
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