In a display of strategic adaptability, Ukraine has been compelled to revise its counteroffensive approach after encountering dense minefields deployed by Russian forces, according to a recent report, this was reported by Business Insider.
The Washington Post revealed that Ukrainian units, faced with formidable obstacles, have made the difficult decision to leave behind the Western-donated battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles and instead proceed slowly on foot.
Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, General Valery Zaluzhny, emphasized the necessity of this alteration, stating, “You can no longer do anything with just a tank with some armor because the minefield is too deep, and sooner or later, it will stop, and then it will be destroyed by concentrated fire.”
The presence of these treacherous minefields has laid bare the limitations of the Western-provided armor, which Ukraine had fervently sought to aid in its mission to reclaim territory under Russian occupation.
While the donated vehicles boast robustness, soldiers within them typically sustain only minor injuries, underscoring their inability to surmount Russia’s defenses single-handedly, as outlined in the report.
Startlingly, nearly one-third of the Bradley armored vehicles dispatched to Ukraine by the United States have already been rendered inoperative, as evidenced by open-source data.
To enhance its ground capabilities, Zaluzhny emphasized Ukraine’s urgent requirement for modern fighter jets like the U.S.-made F-16.
Additionally, Ukrainian officials have persistently appealed to their Western allies for an increased supply of mine-clearance equipment, stating that they have received less than 15% of the requested demining and engineering tools prior to the commencement of the counter-offensive.
Ukraine currently employs the U.S.-provided M58 Mine Clearing Line Charge (MICLIC) systems, which, as per The Post, are also being destroyed.
Zaluzhny acknowledged this reality, stating, “There’s nothing wrong with that. It takes a lot of them.”
Responding to these pressing demands, U.S. officials have expressed their intention to furnish Ukraine with additional systems and the requisite charges, as reported by The Washington Post.
In an effort to salvage their limited mine-clearing resources, Ukrainian forces have resorted to manual mine clearance techniques, employing small teams of soldiers who painstakingly crawl on the ground, attempting to identify and neutralize the mines themselves, The Post elucidated.
Complicating matters further, Russian forces continue to drop additional mines from the air onto areas that have been cleared by Ukrainian personnel, further impeding the clearance efforts.
Testimonies from Ukrainian soldiers underscore the significant challenges posed by the minefields, particularly along the southern Zaporizhzhia front line. The Russian military anticipated an offensive in this area, aiming to sever a critical land link to Crimea, which Russia illicitly annexed in 2014.
Drawing attention to the formidable nature of Russia’s defenses, Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, a retired U.S. general, likened attempts to breach them – encompassing rows of trenches, anti-tank traps, minefields, and barbed wire – to traversing “20 kilometers of hell,” as previously reported by Insider.
While Ukraine has achieved incremental progress in its counteroffensive, President Zelenskyy acknowledged that the pace thus far has been “slower than desired.”
