The general in charge of Ukraine’s stuttering counter-offensive in the south has said Russian defenses are making it difficult for military equipment, including Western tanks and armored vehicles, to move forward.
Gen Oleksandr Tarnavskyi says his forces are struggling to overcome multi-layered minefields and fortified defensive lines.
“That is why most of the tasks have to be performed by troops.”
He says Russia’s military has displayed “professional qualities” by preventing Ukrainian forces from “advancing quickly”.
“I don’t underestimate the enemy,” he adds.
Latest unconfirmed reports from the US suggest the main thrust of the counter-offensive has begun. The Institute for the Study of War says Ukrainian forces appear to have broken through “certain pre-prepared Russian defensive positions”.
But so far there’s little evidence that Western-supplied tanks and armored vehicles have been able to tip the balance decisively in Ukraine’s favor.
Several Leopard tanks and US Bradley fighting vehicles were damaged or destroyed in the first days of the offensive, near the city of Orikhiv.
Ukraine’s 47th Brigade, which had largely been trained and equipped by the West to try to break through Russian lines, was soon stopped in its tracks by mines and then targeted by artillery.
Russia released multiple videos of the incident claiming Ukraine’s offensive had already failed. In reality, it was an early setback rather than a decisive blow.
We visited the same brigade’s outdoor workshop, hidden in a forest behind the front line, where they are now trying to repair more than a dozen armored vehicles most of them US Bradleys.
They first arrived unscathed but now bear the scars of battle. Broken tracks and buckled wheels – the tell-tale signs that several have hit Russian mines.
Serhii, one of the engineers, says: “The faster we can repair them, the faster we can get them back to the front line to save someone’s life.”
But he also admits that some are beyond repair and will have to be either scavenged for spare parts or “returned to our partners” to be rebuilt.
While Western armor has provided Ukrainian troops with better protection, it has not been able to punch through the rows of Russian mines – one of the biggest barriers to Ukraine’s advance.
Traveling the southern front we also saw British-supplied Mastiff armored vehicles damaged and destroyed.
BBC/Adebukola Aluko
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