Successes of Ukrainian commanders gaining recognition by international experts - Naiev

Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Serhii Naiev, said this in a blog for Ukrinform.

"Strategic military operations that have been (and will be) developed and implemented by Ukrainian generals will be the subject of detailed research by military analysts and military academy instructors. But even now, the successes of Ukrainian commanders are gaining recognition by international military experts," Naiev said.

According to him, General Waldemar Skrzypczak, former commander of the Polish Army, speaking about the very successful operation to liberate a large part of Kharkiv region, explained that this success was made possible thanks to the defensive operation in Donbas, which bled the Russian army dry.

"The first biggest battle, your biggest success, is your defense in Donbas. The commander who led a successful defense for four months is your hero. All other operations are now the result of the fact that you have exhausted the Russian army in Donbas, and it no longer has the strength to defend or fight," Naiev quoted the Polish commander as saying.

According to Skrzypczak, following the defeat of the Russians in the battle in Donbas, and after they were convinced that the main blow would be in the Kherson direction, a weak spot appeared in the enemy's defense in the Kharkiv direction. It was there that the Ukrainian army brought a crushing blow to the occupiers, liberating almost entire Kharkiv region.

Naiev said that amid resistance to the Russian invasion, the command of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine developed and implemented five strategic operations. He told how the operational deployment of the Defense Forces took place on the eve of the large-scale invasion, how the date and time of the Russian assault were determined, how it was possible to thwart the enemy's plans to gain full control over the Ukrainian Black Sea coast, preserve the most combat-ready part of the Ukrainian army in the east and lay the groundwork for the liberation of Kharkiv region.

As reported by Ukrinform, the Defense Forces of Ukraine eliminated about 319,210 invaders from February 24, 2022 to November 20, 2023.

Photo: press service of AFU Joint Forces Commander Serhii Naiev