Ukrainian troops have decisively broken through Russia’s first line of defense near Zaporizhzhia after weeks of painstakingly clearing the area and expect a faster advance as they press against a weaker second front line, said Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, the Ukrainian general leading the counteroffensive in the south. in an interview with the “Observer”.

Brigadier General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi estimated that Russia devoted 60 percent of its time and resources to building the first line of defense and only 20 percent to the second and third lines, as Moscow did not expect Ukrainian forces to break through the first.

Now we are between the first and second lines of defense, Tarnavskyi told the Observer. Ukrainian troops are pushing from both sides of the breach and are entrenched on the territory won in the last battles, the general explained. “In the center of the offensive, we are completing the destruction of enemy units that are covering the withdrawal of Russian troops behind the second line of their defense,” he noted.

Demining was done only on foot, at night

A huge minefield blocked the Ukrainian troops for weeks, but the infantry slowly cleared the way for the assault on foot.

According to him, Russian troops behind the front line “sat and waited for the Ukrainian army”, taking out equipment with shells and drones. But after the breakthrough of the minefield, the Russians were forced to maneuver, and the Ukrainians returned with tanks and other armored vehicles.

As a sign that Moscow is feeling the pressure, it has redeployed troops to the area, pulling them from other front lines in occupied Ukraine – Kherson in the west and Liman in the northeast – as well as from Russia, he said. The Ukrainian general.

“The enemy is introducing reserves not only from Ukraine, but also from Russia. But sooner or later, the Russians will run out of all their best soldiers. This will give us an impetus to attack more and faster,” said Tarnavskyi. . “We have everything ahead of us,” the general added.

A tank specialist, Tarnavskyi has an impressive record of fighting Russian forces since they crossed the country’s border in 2022. In September of last year, he was appointed commander of the forces that fought for the liberation of the city of Kherson, and two months later the city was liberated, the British weekly notes.

“They did everything to make this area well prepared”

There were hopes for a quick advance in the summer counteroffensive, which aims to advance to the Sea of ​​Azov, isolate Russian forces in Kherson and occupied Crimea, and cut off their supply routes. But, contrary to expectations, the counteroffensive has stalled for months, casualties are mounting and the front lines appear immobile, fueling discontent and criticism in Western capitals that have provided arms and training, the Observer writes.

Tarnawski disagreed with the criticism, saying he preferred to assess the work when it was done, but thanked Britain and other allies for their support in terms of training and weapons, including the Challenger tanks already in the field.

“When we started the counteroffensive, we spent more time clearing the areas than we expected,” he admitted. “Unfortunately, the evacuation of the wounded was difficult for us. And it also made it difficult for us to advance. In my opinion, the Russians did not believe that the Ukrainians would break through this line of defense. They had been preparing for more than a year. They did everything to ensure that this area was well prepared “, the general explained.

Concrete trenches

Russian troops had made concrete shelters behind anti-tank traps and behind a minefield, saturated with explosives and so open that any vehicle – armored or assault – that approached the area was subjected to intense fire from entrenched and fortified positions, Tarnavskyi said.

But the Ukrainians, who had repeatedly surprised the world with their successes against Russian military power, continued to advance. The infantry went out at night to de-mine with difficulty and make a corridor, moving meter by meter in the dark, the general said.

“As soon as any equipment appeared there, the Russians immediately started shooting at it and destroying it. Therefore, demining was carried out only by infantry and only at night,” said Tarnavskyi.

Now that the minefield had been breached, the Russians had lost much of their advantage. “There is a very big difference between the first and second line of defense,” said Tarnavskyi.

The second link is not so well built, so Ukrainians can use their own transport, although there are still minefields. Russian troops are still active in this area, but they are not located in a single defensive perimeter, but in “windows”, the general explained.

“We are losing the strongest and the best”

When asked about the slow progress in breaking through Russian lines in another offensive further east along the enemy’s defense line, he said he had other goals and added that Ukraine was also preparing other surprise offensive operations to wear down Moscow’s forces.

“To achieve success in one direction, you always need to mislead the enemy. The main goal (of the offensive near) the village of Velika Novosilka had a different goal,” said Tarnavskyi.

He declined to comment on a timeline for major targets such as Melitopol or the Azov Sea coast, but said fighting would continue.

Slow military progress over the summer has given arguments to those in Western capitals who have called for talks with Vladimir Putin to end the war. This position is strongly contested in Ukraine, where many, including the president, believe that only the total defeat of Russia will prevent another invasion. Any deal that would reward Moscow for using force would give it a reason to try again in the future, Ukrainians say. “If we stop our offensive, the enemy will gain new strength and become stronger. We will go to the borders of Ukraine in 1991. We do not want to see our children and even grandchildren fighting against the Russians. And who will stop them? Only us,” says General Tarnavskyi.

He is the commander of the operational and strategic group of troops “Tavria”, named after the historical region that included Crimea.

“The closer we get to victory, the harder it is. Why? Because, unfortunately, we are losing the strongest and the best. So now we have to focus on certain areas and get the job done. It doesn’t matter how hard it is for all of us,” he said. (Source: News.ro)