Michael Kofman, director of the Russian studies program at the American think tank CNA, expressed doubts that the destruction of the dam would have a “significant impact on Ukraine’s military operations”, reports The Guardian.

Michael CoffmanPhoto: Volodymyr Astapkovich / Sputnik / Profimedia

“The Kakhovka Dam is at least 100 miles away from where most of the offensive at the closest point could take place,” he tweeted.

“The operation to cross the Ukrainian river in the south of Kherson below the dam has always been a risky and therefore unlikely prospect. There is no evidence that such an operation was carried out or that it was necessarily part of Ukrainian offensive plans,” concludes Kofman.

A Russian official says the destruction of the dam benefits their military

Volodymyr Saldo, the Russian-appointed governor of occupied Kherson, said the floods “worked in a way that operationally and tactically benefited the Russian forces,” Sky News reported.

Blaming Ukraine for the disaster, he noted: “Our Armed Forces now have an open space in front of them, through which they can see who is trying to cross the Dnieper and how. It will be impossible for them [forțele ucrainene] pass through the Kakhov reservoir, if they try.”

Gen. Mark Gertling says it will affect the counteroffensive

Instead, General Mark Gertling, the former commander of US forces in Europe, offered a heated response on Tuesday after the Novaya Kakhovka dam was blown up, saying it would have serious consequences for the Ukrainian offensive.

“Part of the Nova Kakhovka dam has been destroyed/collapsed. The flood from the Dnipro to the Black Sea will also affect Bug and Ingulets. The flood will also affect the strip of Russian defense lines, as well as the potential for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to ford the river, the supply lines and the future offensive on Kherson,” the American general wrote on his page. Twitterallegedly hinting that he believes Ukraine will launch its long-awaited offensive in this southern region of the country.

General Mark Gertling Photo: Marko Drobnjakovic / Associated Press / Profimedia Images

The day before, there were numerous speculations and speculations on social networks that Kyiv troops had finally launched an offensive to liberate the territories occupied by Russia last year after the military command in Moscow hastily announced that on the night from Sunday to Monday its troops repelled “a large-scale offensive » of the Ukrainian army in Donbas in the morning.

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