Ukraine Gears Up for Counteroffensive With Influx of Western Weapons; Military: Russian Troops Forced to Retreat From ‘several positions’ in Donetsk Oblast; ISW: Russia Fails to Achieve Goal of Seizing Donbas by End of March; Russia Says It Is Boosting Military Production as Campaign in Ukraine Stalls, LIVE UPDATES and MORE

By admin On Apr 5, 2023

Ukraine gears up for counteroffensive with influx of Western weapons:

Ukraine is gearing up for a spring counteroffensive as weapons from the West — including tanks and one million artillery rounds — pour in to aid in the fight against Russian forces.

Germany said this week that it delivered 18 Leopard 2 tanks and Poland, Canada, and Norway have already supplied Ukraine with their Leopard tanks.

Ukraine has also received British Challenger tanks and has been assured U.S. Abrams tanks and French light tanks will be sent as well. The U.S. has also sent High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems and millions of rounds of ammunition.

The armored vehicles could be key to the looming counteroffensive, according to James Nixey, director of the Russia and Eurasia program at Chatham House, a London think tank.

“Sheer numbers of tanks can drive a deeper wedge into Russian holding positions,” Nixey said.

Nixey added that the fate of Europe relies on Ukraine’s success.

If Ukraine is defeated it would “have global ramifications, and there will be no such thing as European security as we (currently) understand it,” Nixey said.

The 13 months of brutal fighting has exposed weaknesses in Russia’s military forces.

Moscow’s shortcomings include failing to reach Kyiv during the early stages of the invasion and the inability to take the war-torn eastern city of Bakhmut after seven months of bloody battles for the city. —>READ MORE HERE

Military: Russian troops forced to retreat from ‘several positions’ in Donetsk Oblast:

Ukraine’s military has pushed the Russian troops back from “several positions” in the direction of Donetsk, according to Colonel Oleksii Dmytrashkivskyi, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian military defending the south of Donetsk Oblast.

The Ukrainian forces “are now busy equipping these positions for defensive combat operations,” Dmytrashkivskyi said on the national television, as quoted by Liga.

He added that Russian forces attacked the industrial town of Avdiivka, located just five kilometers north of Russian-occupied Donetsk, some 30 times over the last day – mostly with infantry, supported by only two tanks.

The small town has recently faced an uptick in assaults as Russian forces attempt to advance in the area.

However, Russia failed to achieve its goal of seizing the whole region of Donbas, comprised of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, by March 31, the Institute of the Study of War noted in its latest update. —>READ MORE HERE

Follow links below to +++++relevant+++++ and related stories:

+++++Russia-Ukraine News LATEST UPDATES: (REUTERS) (AP) (NY POST) and (WSJ)+++++

++++++ISW: Russia fails to achieve goal of seizing Donbas by end of March++++

+++++Russia Says It Is Boosting Military Production as Campaign in Ukraine Stalls+++++

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