Sir Richard Dannatt, a retired British army chief, said Ukraine must defeat Russia this year or risk losing support from the West. According to the former chief of staff, the Russian army may collapse in a major counterattack by the Ukrainian military, according to reports daily Mail.
The great counter-offensive that we are all expecting and that Ukraine is preparing for has not yet begun, but it is probably not very far away. If Ukraine wants to achieve its goals, including the liberation of occupied territories, it must do so this year
Dannatt said.
At the time of the retired commander-in-chief’s remarks, the Ukrainian army advanced on the outskirts of Bahmut and launched a successful counterattack against the Russian forces fighting to take over the city. Kiev said that the situation in Bakhmut is difficult and that the Russian army has not abandoned its plan to fully control the city.
There is a danger that Western support will diminish over time, and Putin believes that time is on his side, so it is very important that the Ukrainians launch their offensive in time.
– Dannat said, in his words, if the Ukrainian troops deal a crushing blow to the Russians, then, as we saw in the vicinity of Kharkiv, the morale of the Russian soldiers will collapse and the strength will collapse.
The Ukrainian military said last week it had begun pushing back Russian forces in and around Bakhmut after months of heavy fighting. Moscow has acknowledged that its forces have retreated north of the city, and Russia has now sent more offensive forces to take the city. .
(Cover Photo:
Ukrainian soldiers fire at a self-propelled artillery vehicle in Bakhmut, eastern Ukraine, under siege by Russian forces, on May 15, 2023.
picture:
MTI/AP/LIBKOS)
