Ukraine is ready to launch its long-awaited counteroffensive against Russian troops, a high-ranking Ukrainian official told the BBC, The Guardian reports.

The TV channel reported that Oleksiy Danilov did not want to name the exact date, but said that the assault to return the territory to the occupying forces of President Vladimir Putin could begin “tomorrow, the day after tomorrow or in a week.”

He noted that Kyiv “has no right to make a mistake” regarding this decision, as it is a “historic opportunity” that “we cannot lose.”

As secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Danilov is at the center of the de facto military cabinet of President Volodymyr Zelenskyi.

A video of the Ukrainian military is circulating on social networks, on which you can also see the Leopard 2.

What Kyiv says about Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus

Danilov also told the BBC that he was “absolutely calm” that Russia had begun deploying nuclear weapons in Belarus, saying: “This is not news to us.”

The transfer of Russian nuclear weapons to Belarus does not mean that there is a greater danger of escalation of the war started by the Kremlin in Ukraine, according to analysts of the American Institute for the Study of War, dpa notes.

According to ISW analysts, it remains extremely unlikely that Russian President Vladimir Putin will use nuclear weapons in Ukraine or elsewhere.

The threat level is not higher, as Russia is already capable of hitting potential targets with its nuclear weapons, American analysts note.

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said on Friday that Russia plans to simulate a major accident at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, controlled by pro-Moscow forces, to try to thwart a long-planned Ukrainian counteroffensive to retake Russian-controlled territory.

The main types of weapons and strategies that Ukraine can use in a counteroffensive

The conflict in Ukraine is set to enter a new high-intensity phase as troops in Kyiv appear to have launched an expected counteroffensive.

“Our actions have already begun,” Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the head of the Presidential Administration in Kyiv, said recently.

Ukraine has armed itself with advanced weapons and technologies to prepare a counteroffensive in the conflict with Russia. Modern battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, HIMARS missile systems, and Storm Shadow cruise missiles, along with aviation and drone support, will play a critical role in Ukraine’s efforts to regain territory and counter the Russian invasion.

Training and coordination of troops, as well as effective logistical support, will be critical to the success of the counteroffensive, Al Jazeera reported.

Ukraine received bandages

Ukraine received more than 230 main battle tanks from NATO countries, including the Abrams M1 and Challenger 2 tanks, which are among the best in the world in terms of firepower and mobility. These tanks will play a crucial role in Ukraine’s offensive to recover the territories lost during the Russian invasion.

“It was nice to destroy the first Challenger 2 main battle tank in one turn. Such tanks, supplied by Great Britain, recently arrived in our country. These fantastic machines will soon start performing combat missions,” Minister Oleksiy Reznikov wrote on his Twitter page.

31 M1 Abrams tanks have already arrived in Germany for the program of training Ukrainian troops on American tanks, the Pentagon announced on Tuesday, May 16, according to CNN.

On February 3, the German government announced that it had also approved the transfer of Leopard 1 tanks to Kyiv, after making the same move on January 25 for its more modern successor, the Leopard 2 (a company of 14 combat vehicles).

“110 Leopards 1A5. In the near future,” the Ukrainian diplomat wrote on Twitter, posting a photo of one of the tanks and a video apparently shot in a repair shop. Despite its age, several NATO countries still have various modernized versions of this tank in service.

Read also:

• Why are Russians afraid of Leopard-2 tanks?
• Russian general warns that Leopard tanks are the best in Europe

Mobility of Ukrainian troops

Along with tanks, motorized infantry units using Bradley and Marder type infantry fighting vehicles will advance. These vehicles are equipped with 30 mm guns or anti-tank missiles and can safely transport troops, providing protection and fire support.

Ukraine received “BMP” “Strykers” and “Cougars” (anti-mine anti-personnel infantry vehicles) from the USA, and “Marders” (BMP) from Germany.

HIMARS news

Speed ​​will be key in advancing the relatively flat and open spaces of southern Ukraine. Artillery will help them in this.

The HIMARS reactive artillery system, capable of launching high-precision missiles, is one of the most effective types of weapons used in the war in Ukraine. This system is capable of destroying important targets from a distance of up to 80 km, including Russian fuel and ammunition depots.

Ukraine’s defense minister told The Wall Street Journal that sending HIMARS long-range missile systems would change the rules of the game in Russia’s war.

“The word “KHIMARS” has become almost synonymous with the word “justice” for our country,” Zelenskyy said.

But Ukraine says it needs 60 salvo missile systems – far more than the number promised so far by Britain and the US – to have any chance of defeating Russia, The Guardian reports.

New patriot

Patriot, short for Phased Array Tracking Radar for Intercept on Target, is a surface-to-air missile defense system developed by Raytheon Technologies Corp and considered one of the most advanced air defense systems in the US arsenal.

A Patriot is a mobile system that typically includes a powerful radar, control station, power generator, launch stations, and other support facilities.

Ukrainian anti-aircraft forces, equipped with American Patriot and German Cheetah systems, were able to repel almost every Russian missile in the sky.

Russia has claimed that its Kinjal hypersonic missiles, also known as Killjoys, a term used by NATO, are “invincible”, but Ukraine claims to have shot down six of them in one night with the Patriot system.

• Will Ukraine be able to shoot down Russian hypersonic missiles with Patriot defense systems?

Storm Shadow Missiles

Earlier this month, Britain became the first country to say it had supplied long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine.

The United Kingdom has transferred hundreds of Storm Shadow cruise missiles, which are capable of hitting highly visible targets at a distance of more than 250 km. These missiles can penetrate fortified structures and be used to strike strategic targets, such as the vital bridge across the Kerch Strait.

Russia accuses Ukraine of “Storm Shadow” attack on Luhansk. Two weeks earlier, Russian state media reported a fire at an oil refinery in the Krasnodar region following two days of drone attacks on a depot nearly 400 km away. the nearest territory controlled by Ukraine.

Kyiv insists on F-16

Control of the skies above the battlefield is essential to the success of the offensive. Although the promised Western fighters have not yet been received, Ukraine has received MiG-29 fighters from Slovakia and Poland, making up for losses during the conflict.

The Ukrainian Air Force and drones played an important role in supporting ground forces and delivering effective artillery strikes.

Ukraine appears to have received its first signal that it may be dreaming of American F-16 fighter jets after US President Joe Biden said he supports joint allied training programs for Ukrainian pilots on the multi-role aircraft.

The advantage of the F-16 for Ukraine, in addition to its versatility, is not so much its power (comparable to that which the Russians would oppose), but its availability: it is running out, and the European Air Force in particular. decommissioning dozens of these aircraft each year.

Which countries can offer F-16

The Netherlands and Denmark, which initiated the initiative along with the British (which do not operate the F-16), have volunteered to provide the planes. The two countries are among the original partners of the F-16 program and agreed to industrial advantages in their territory in exchange for the purchase of the aircraft.

The Netherlands purchased a total of 213 aircraft, of which 108 were modernized and were still recently operated by the Netherlands Air Force. They are being replaced by American F-35s, so they can be delivered to Ukraine.

Across the Atlantic, Washington received more than half of the F-16s produced and still operates just over a thousand in 2021, in addition to several hundred more in reserve. The aircraft is being replaced by the F-35, but the United States is sticking to its operational capabilities and currently rules out any deliveries to Ukraine.

Whatever it is, pilot training takes months, from 3 to 6, if not more, and mechanics at least as many. The F-16 is an aircraft that also requires a heavy logistics base that will need to be installed and requires infrastructure to be in very good shape.

Probably, their work will require adaptation of the runways of Ukrainian air bases. Therefore, Ukraine will have to wait before receiving its first Western multi-purpose aircraft, according to Le Point.

• Read and ANALYZE: Goodbye “red lines”: Why the veto on Western planes for Ukraine was lifted

Preparation and coordination

In addition to the weapons and equipment used, the decisive factor in the success of the counteroffensive is the preparation and coordination of the troops.

The Ukrainian military is in the complex process of preparing an offensive against Russian forces, deploying troops like pieces of a puzzle and will strike at the right time, said the former commander of US forces in Europe, General Mark Gertling.

The Ukrainian army has received all kinds of different equipment from several countries and is training in various EU training areas to gain new skills in working with this equipment. Some workouts take longer than others, depending on the equipment.

When they graduate from, say, Germany, Poland, Estonia or other countries, they return to Ukraine and are “adopted” and “trained” with other types of partner units. Having united, they “move” forward, closer to the front line and “integrate” into even larger units.

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