Former Ukrainian Presidential Advisor: Mr. Zelensky's Strategy Failed the Army
(Baonghean.vn) - Oleg Soskin, former advisor to the late President Leonid Kuchma, said that President Volodymyr Zelensky's strategy led to the failure of the counterattack of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
According to Ria Novosti, in an interview, former adviser to the late Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma, Oleg Soskin, said: "Mr. Zelensky's entire strategy of intensifying repression in the country, strengthening the dictatorship, continuing martial law is completely useless. And taking men to the front does not solve any problems. If there is no power to liberate the territory: no money, no military, no material, then we have to look for another way."
According to the former adviser, the Ukrainian army not only did not advance, but also could not maintain control of its positions. At the same time, Soskin believes that President Zelensky's personal decision to appoint Rustem Umerov as Minister of Defense led to a split between the political leadership and the military, led by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Valery Zaluzhny.
"This failure of Zelenksky is in fact his downfall, because in this way the counterattack ends" - former presidential adviser Oleg Soskin commented.
Military experts say that applying Western-style "lightning" attack tactics has left Ukraine struggling against Russian defense lines and unable to advance further as winter approaches.
Although President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the Ukrainian army is considering changing its strategy to speed up the offensive in the coming time, military experts say it will be very difficult for Kiev to turn the situation around, as Ukraine is entering the "bezdorizhzhia" period - a phenomenon where the ground becomes muddy and mushy due to the effects of the weather.
Meanwhile, according to former US Marine Brian Berletic, commanders of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are considering going on the defensive, after a failed counterattack.
“Now many commanders of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are talking about the need for defense, that they should forget about the offensive, because it cannot continue, and is ineffective,” Berletic said.
According to this American expert, even the Western media admits the deteriorating morale of the Ukrainian army. Moreover, the Kiev government cannot recruit more troops to send to the front.
Expert Brian Berletic does not rule out that with the onset of winter, the Ukrainian Armed Forces may face strategic and tactical defeat. He believes that commanders will now have to make very difficult decisions about the positions they are trying to hold.
"They don't have weapons, ammunition, equipment, clothes - the simplest, most necessary things for the entire army. When the weather starts to get cold, the demand will increase, if not met, morale will decrease. Meanwhile, Russia has many more advantages" - former US Marine Brian Berletic said./.