Summary:
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At the same time, the Pentagon has started educating the Ukrainian military on cutting-edge techniques on a broad scale at a US base in Germany.
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“The gains near Kreminna are also happening as Ukrainian officials worry that Russia is getting ready for a big new campaign in the spring.
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The Ukrainian military says that the Russian military has been moving more people, weapons, and ammunition through the Luhansk region.
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The official said that the new forces are “filling in gaps” where Russia needs replacements and reinforcements.
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According to senior Pentagon sources, Ukraine is unlikely to force Russia to leave the country entirely this year.
The gains are happening as Western allies and the U.S. give Kyiv a lot more help in preparation for the expected spring counteroffensive. Last week, after a meeting of defense ministers at Germany’s Ramstein Air Base, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin mentioned the upcoming operation in passing. He noted that the time had come for the West to give Ukraine the additional weapons and training it needed to break through Russian defenses.
Austin said Friday after unveiling a $2.5 billion aid package that includes more armored vehicles and artillery, “We have a window of opportunity here, you know, between now and the spring when they start their operation, their counteroffensive.” “That’s not a lot of time, and we need to put the necessary resources together.”
In addition to the 50 Bradley Fighting Vehicles that were sent in the last batch, the new package includes 350 Humvees, 90 Stryker armored combat vehicles, 53 mine-resistant vehicles, and more air defenses, missiles, and artillery.
At the same time, the Pentagon has started educating the Ukrainian military on cutting-edge techniques on a broad scale at a US base in Germany. According to officials, the training will improve their fighting abilities as the war moves into a new phase.
The senior military officer declared, “Now is not the time to slow down when it comes to aiding Ukraine in its defense.”
The gains near Kreminna are also happening as Ukrainian officials worry that Russia is getting ready for a big new campaign in the spring. The Ukrainian military says that the Russian military has been moving more people, weapons, and ammunition through the Luhansk region.
One of the settlements along Russia’s Svatove-Kreminna defense line is Kreminna, according to Michael Kofman, director of the Russian Studies Program at CNA. He said that taking control of Kreminna would be an important first step for any future attacks on Luhansk.
According to him, taking Kreminna would put Ukrainian forces on a course toward Rubizhne and give them one of the possible axes of march against Starobilsk, a crucial Russian supply base.
The fighting in the Kreminna area is a continuation of the fall counteroffensive that Kiev started against the northeastern Kharkiv region of Ukraine. Now that Russian troops have set up camp in Luhansk, Ukrainian soldiers have moved south to attack the city, but they are facing strong resistance.
After losing a lot of soldiers, especially in the area around the city of Bakhmut in the central Donetsk region, Moscow has recently sent tens of thousands of new soldiers to the front lines to help.
The official said that the new forces are “filling in gaps” where Russia needs replacements and reinforcements. They don’t always come in organized groups, and they are “poorly equipped, poorly trained, and rushed to the battlefield.”
“A major issue is that, despite these higher numbers, there hasn’t been a significant improvement in terms of replacements or reinforcements,” the official stated.
The officer added that Kiev wanted to “exploit opportunities along the Russian defensive lines” in Kreminna.
According to senior Pentagon sources, Ukraine is unlikely to force Russia to leave the country entirely this year. The head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, said on Friday that Kyiv might be able to take back a large amount of land if the Ukrainians get new weapons and training in the coming months.
Milley added that when the new and prior aid packages from the United States are integrated, the equipment has the capability of at least two combined arms maneuver brigades, or six mechanized infantry battalions, ten motorized infantry battalions, and four artillery battalions.
Milley says, “I do think it’s very, very likely that the Ukrainians will launch a major offensive operation at the tactical or even operational level to free as much Ukrainian land as possible.” This depends on the supply and training of all of this equipment. Then, we’ll follow its progress.
