Ukrainian forces close to significant success at front - Estonian intelligence
The actions of Ukrainian troops during the counteroffensive and signs of complications for the Russian occupation army may indicate that Ukraine can expect a major success at the front in the near future.
The relevant statement was made by Commander of the Estonian Defense Forces Intelligence Center Margo Grosberg, according to ERR, Ukrinform reports.
At a briefing at the Ministry of Defense on July 14, Grosberg talked about the Ukrainian Armed Forces' tactics of destroying Russian command posts and logistics centers with precision strikes, successes in the areas near Bakhmut, and the words of a Russian general indicating that Russian reserves are being depleted.
"All this shows that the Ukrainians are close to success of a larger sort," Grosberg said.
The preparatory offensive operations currently being conducted by the Ukrainian Armed Forces are aimed at trapping Russian units in narrow areas and finding weaknesses for a breakthrough. To this end, important transportation hubs, logistics points and command centers of the Russian army in the rear are being attacked, the colonel explained.
He also said that Ukrainian units near Bakhmut managed to capture key areas to the north and south of the city, which makes it possible to conduct artillery shelling of the city, which is held by Russian troops, and control the roads leading to it. This, according to Grosberg, makes it difficult for Russian troops to get supplies.
In addition, the fact that the Russian airborne troops stationed in Bakhmut since spring are still tied to the city, suffering losses and unable to be redeployed or withdrawn to reserve is a major factor. Given that the paratroopers are an elite Russian unit with high morale, this attrition tactic is certainly affecting their motivation. "There should be more success at some point," Grosberg said.
On the southern front, in the area of Zaporizhzhia and Velyka Novoselivka, Ukrainian forces have increased the area of territory liberated and are destroying key Russian targets in the area with precision strikes, Grosberg continued. He particularly noted the strike on a hotel in Berdiansk that killed Russian Deputy Commander of the Southern Military District, Lieutenant General Oleg Tsokov, this week.
The expert also drew attention to the dismissal of Russian General Ivan Popov, allegedly because of his criticism of the General Staff and the leak of records on the situation of the 58th Army under his command. Grosberg cited Popov's claims that units have been on the front line for a very long time and have not been replaced, and that soldiers are dying en masse due to enemy artillery.
"All this is demonstration of the fact that Russian reserves are running out, as units cannot be rotated from the front," Grosberg stated.
The colonel also noted that in the northeast, at the Svatove and Kupiansk directions, Russian troops, although they have launched the largest number of attacks and achieved some success, are still far from a tactical breakthrough. The purpose of the pressure there is to force Ukraine to move troops from near Bakhmut and other places where they have been successful, Grosberg explained.
As reported, in total, Ukrainian soldiers eliminated 550 Russian invaders yesterday, destroyed 5 tanks, 9 armored combat vehicles, 24 artillery systems, 2 MLRS, 2 air defense systems, 31 operational and tactical UAVs, two cruise missiles, 24 vehicles and 10 units of special equipment.
Photo: General Staff