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Ukrainian soldiers load shells into a tank at a position near the front line, outside the town of Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine October 4, 2022. Photo/REUTERS/Anna Kudriavtseva
KIEV – The Ukrainian military is ready to launch a major offensive against Russian troops in the coming weeks, which will shock the global community.
The United States (US) adviser to top general Kiev Dan Rice made the point Thursday.
He spoke in an interview with Ukraine’s New Voice daily. Dan Rice, an Iraq War veteran who now serves as an adviser to Valery Zaluzhny, commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, claims Russia is facing serious obstacles when it tries to gain control of the main Donbass city of Artyomovsk, known in Ukraine as Bakhmut.
In recent weeks, Russian troops have captured several villages around the strategic logistics hub, with Evgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner Private Military Company, claiming the group controls 70% of the town.
Last week, Russia’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Dmitry Polyanskiy described the situation of Ukrainian troops on the ground as “very bad”, saying they were close to being encircled and suffering heavy losses.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky himself described the battle as “one of the most difficult”.
Rice downplayed the difficulty, focusing instead on adverse weather conditions, insisting Moscow had chosen a “terrible time to attack”.
He stated when the “right time” for a Kiev offensive came in the spring, “Ukraine would have a much stronger army, and much better equipped than last year” when hostilities began.
