Amid Russia’s winning spree, Ukraine’s top commander pitches a victory path: ‘We must counter-attack’

At a time when Russia is on a winning spree, Ukraine’s military chief has called for a fresh counter-offensive.

Throughout the year, Russia has made gains in the yearslong Ukraine War. It has captured key cities and towns of Avdiivka, Vuhldedar, Ukrainsk , among others. It has also moved dangerously closed to strategic cities of Pokrovsk and Kurakhove.

With the election of Donald Trump in the United States, who has indicated the pulling the plug on support to Ukraine, the nation is in a precarious position in the war with Russia.

Amid such a situation, Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief, Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi told a group of military bloggers that “victory is impossible” if Ukraine would remain defensive and now was the time to go offensive.

“Victory is impossible if the Armed Forces work only in defense. We have to seize the initiative and counterattack. We have and we will. Where and who – you will see,” said Syrskyi, according to blogger Kirill Sazonov’s post on Telegram cited by The War Zone.

While Syrskyi did not outline any plans for an offensive, he referred to previous counter-offensives in Kharkiv and Kherson provinces.

Offensive at a time when defences are crumbling

For weeks, Ukrainian defences have been crumbling before the Russian attacks across the various theatres of the war.

Since the beginning of the war in February 2022, Russia has been advancing at its fastest pace , according to analysts cited by Reuters.

With help from around 10,000 North Korean soldiers , Russia has also recaptured up to 40 per cent of territory in Kursk province that Ukraine had captured in the counter-offensive in August, said a source to the news agency.

Despite such a series of setbacks, Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi has cited previous examples to call for a fresh counter-offensive.

“It was the encirclement of the enemy, the attack on the flanks and the cutting of logistical routes that brought success to the Armed Forces. The liberation of Kharkiv Oblast, the liberation of Kherson – exactly according to this logic,” said Syrskyi, according to The War Zone.

Syrskyi further said that the situation in Pokrovsk and Kurakhove, the major targets of ongoing Russian offensives, has improved in recent days for Ukraine.

The situation in Pokrovsk and Kurakhove “is difficult” but “better than it was a week ago” when it was “critical”, Sazonov stated Syrskyi as saying.

He further said, “Some units withdrew, left their positions, and there was no one to close them. A crisis situation indeed. But the issue has been resolved, the reserves have been deployed, the enemy’s plans have been thwarted.”

He further said that even though Russian soldiers outnumber Ukrainians by 5-1 near Pokrovsk, losses as a result of ‘meat grinder’ attacks by Russia has affected Russian numbers as well.

Despite that, Ukraine continues to deal with a severe shortage of trained personnel to fight. The situation has been worsened by the Kursk incursion which appears to have been counter-productive. While Ukraine deployed some of the best-trained personnel in Kursk operation with the idea that Russia would divert personnel and equipment from other theatres of war to deal with Ukraine in Kursk, that did not happen and Russia continued to press elsewhere even as Ukraine continued to expand gains in Kursk and took the fight to neighbouring Belgorod province.

With the help of North Korean soldiers, Russia has recaptured up to 40 per cent of territories Ukraine had captured in the incursion, said a source to Reuters.