This year, the Ukrainian Armed Forces demonstrated significant strategic achievements in terms of military operations in the east of the country, which repelled a number of successful counterattacks and became the basis for further operations.
Military expert, retired lieutenant general Ihor Romanenko said that this year Ukraine has made significant progress towards making the airspace over Crimea dangerous for all Russian aircraft. "Last year we had a strategic achievement at sea, and this year we are achieving results in the air. For this, we need additional means," the military expert noted.
In particular, according to him, long-range ATACMS missiles and, of course, fourth-generation fighters - i.e. F-16 - are important for Ukraine in this sense. Then there will be even more destroyed Russian air defense systems.
As an achievement, Ihor Romanenko noted the destruction of the Pantsir-S1 air defense system near Belgorod by the Ukrainian defense forces. "Pantsir-S1" is a universal high-cost ground-based air defense system. One such air defense system costs about 14 million dollars. As Romanenko emphasized, this is not just an anti-aircraft missile defense system, but a ZRGK, that is, an anti-aircraft missile gun complex. "That is, it has both guns and missiles. This is a universal complex that acts on targets at low altitudes. Potentially, they can shoot down many targets," the expert said.
The Ukrainian military is doing everything to prevent the plans of the Russian Federation to break through the eastern front. General of the Ukrainian army, former head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, Mykola Malomuzh, expressed the opinion that the Armed Forces of Ukraine may launch a counteroffensive at the end of summer - beginning of autumn. "It has already been said many times that Putin gave clear instructions to break through the front in the east of Ukraine. The main goal is to completely occupy Donetsk and Luhansk regions and partially advance in Zaporizhzhia region. That is why the Kharkiv and Sumy operations were developed, which involved a powerful diversion of the reserves of the Defense Forces," the expert noted.
The general emphasized that if the conditions are favorable, Ukraine will be able to proceed to counteroffensive actions closer to autumn. According to him, as of today, the Ukrainian military is doing everything to prevent the plans of the Russian Federation to break through the eastern front. "The occupiers are transferring units from Kharkiv Oblast to the east in order to fulfill Putin's order to break through the front in eastern Ukraine. They do not succeed in this. Although their attacks on the Pokrovsky, Toretsk and Kurakhiv directions are the beginning of the implementation of the plan for the full occupation of Donetsk region.
Today, the Defense Forces completely destroy these plans of the occupiers. The Armed Forces received ammunition and weapons, which will allow not only to defend themselves, but also to conduct counterattacks. I think that closer to autumn, we will have the opportunity to carry out tactical, and under favorable conditions, strategic counter-offensive actions," Malomuzh believes.
