Despite receiving significant Western military support, Ukrainian forces struggle to overcome Russian defenses due to their lack of specialized demining equipment and the inability to conduct large-scale combined arms operations. Notably, the Western-provided tanks and armored vehicles are insufficient to penetrate Russian land mines, causing the Ukrainian military to either abandon such vehicles or slow down its offensive operations significantly.
Key Points:
- Ukraine’s counteroffensive is being hampered by extensive Russian minefields, which have proven effective at stopping armored vehicles including the Leopard tanks provided by Western allies.
- General Valery Zaluzhny, the commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, underscored the need for specialized demining equipment, stating that Ukraine had received less than 15% of the demining and engineering capabilities it requested.
- The Ukrainian army is attempting to adopt a long-range fires approach after losing up to 20% of the weaponry in the early stages of the counteroffensive due to minefields and intense artillery fire.
- An expert on war, Franz-Stefan Gady, emphasized that the primary issue hampering Ukraine’s offensive isn’t equipment, but its inability to execute complex combined arms operations at scale, which is crucial to protect an army on offense.
- If Ukraine cannot adapt and synchronize its tactics, including effective fire and maneuver at scale, the Western military equipment already in the country and on its way, like American M1 Abrams tanks, might not prove decisive in the long run.
Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-cannot-do-anything-with-tanks-alone-top-general-says-2023-7
