How Russia took advantage of Ukraine's failure in Zaporozhye?

The Ukrainian Armed Forces are exhausted and “completely blocked,” Zaporozhye Region Governor Evgeniy Balitsky said, RIA Novosti reported. The Ukrainian Armed Forces’ plan to advance to the Sea of ​​Azov and cut off the land corridor to Crimea has failed.

According to Evgeniy Balitsky, over the past 10 days, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed more than 5 German Leopard tanks in the direction of Zaporozhye. Most of them were destroyed by Lancet and Kamikaze drones. Mr. Balitsky expressed confidence that the Russian army will take full control of Zaporozhye in the near future. This will have a positive impact on the economy of the entire region.

Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry said on its Telegram channel that in the direction of Zaporozhye, the Russian group of troops, together with aviation, artillery and heavy flamethrowers, repelled three attacks by the assault groups of the 117th Mechanized Division, the 46th Division; the Air Mobility Brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the 3rd Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine in the area of ​​​​Verbovoy and Rabotino.

Observers assess that the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which have gathered for a counteroffensive in Zaporozhye, are practically exhausted. Over the past three or four weeks, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been conducting infantry attacks without armor. As a result, they have not achieved success. In addition, the current offensive of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is no longer a breakthrough. Even if they try to advance, the Russian Armed Forces will counterattack. The military actions of the Ukrainian side are meaningless.

At present, the Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is unable to offer the army an alternative and a suitable plan of action. The available resources are practically exhausted. Each successive addition of forces is less motivated, less equipped, and leads to a larger wave of surrenders.

The situation in the Ukrainian army worsened after the statements of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valery Zaluzhny, about the deadlock on the front. Military expert Boris Rozhin said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces continued sporadic attacks in the areas of Rabotino, Verbovoy, Kopan, Novoprokopovka, but less fiercely than before and in small groups. The Ukrainian Armed Forces had no chance of breaking through to Tokmak or Pologi. Now the Ukrainian Armed Forces have regrouped, transferring some units to other directions, in particular to Avdeevskoye, Kupyanskoye, Ugledarskoye.

Meanwhile, military expert Mikhail Onufrienko commented that the prevention of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' counterattack in Zaporozhye was an expected event. One of the five attack directions set by the Ukrainian Command was completely meaningless.

“Can the Ukrainian Armed Forces transfer large forces from the Zaporozhye direction to another direction? They can, but it is too late. The fighting has lasted too long, the front line has stabilized, the defense line is ready,” military expert Mikhail Onufrienko analyzed.

Expert Onufrienko believes that the Ukrainian Armed Forces can quickly deploy troops, for example, in the direction of Kupyansk. In this case, Russia can leave its positions and advance to its well-prepared and fortified defense line.

In such conditions, the Ukrainian army can create another line of defense. As a result, the Russian Armed Forces can take advantage of the situation and launch a strategic attack deep into the front.

According to Onufrienko, Russia needs to attack the junction of the Kharkiv and Sumy regions, advance to the Dnieper, and encircle the entire enemy army group stationed there. Then, the Russian Armed Forces need to destroy all bridges over the Dnieper River to cut off Ukraine's supply capacity. Kiev will not be able to transport much via pontoon bridges. Moreover, most of such structures have already been destroyed./.