the Ukrainian counter-offensive encounters strong resistance from the Russian army

The Ukrainian general staff recognizes that military operations are progressing slowly. Nothing surprising, faced with a Russian army which resists, uses kamikaze drones and pounding the forces of kyiv. Even if it is far from having thrown all its forces into battle, the Ukrainian army is encountering its first difficulties since the launch of its counter-offensive, says Andrei, a member of a reconnaissance unit. “In my opinion, the biggest problem is the communication between the different units. It is difficult”, he advances.

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This soldier also believes that the Ukrainian army “seriously lacking in heavy weapons” and that she “must also deal with very fortified Russian positions, especially in the Donetsk region”. Then he concludes: “The enemy is stronger than we thought.” This is the general feeling within this brigade made up of many young people like Sasha, barely 21 years old. He returns from the Bakhmout front, where the Russian army is well entrenched. “Some of their units fought in Chechnya and Syria. They are very experienced. So it’s complicated, he confides.

“We are facing an enemy superior in terms of artillery and in numbers of infantry.”

But other Ukrainian soldiers refuse to speak, at this stage, of a counter-offensive. Instead, they speak of “reconnaissance attacks” in order to find the best place to break through the Russian defense lines.