Ukraine has nearly everything it was promised for its counter-offensive, will they succeed?
But will the Ukranians be successful?
Ukrainian forces are poised to launch their much-anticipated spring counter-offensive and they’ll be doing so with nearly every weapon they were promised by their allies.
The next big push
Preparations for Ukraine’s next big push to regain the territory taken by Russia during the early days of Moscow’s invasion have taken months but they’ve certainly paid of
Everything has lead to this
Dozens of global coordination meetings and difficult domestic political fights have all culminated in thousands of new weapons pointed at the heart of the occupied territories.
General Secretary Jens Stoltenburg ![]()
Everything needed is now mostly within Ukrainian hands and NATO’s General Secretary Jens Stoltenburg took time to recognize that during an April 27th press conference.
kraine has nearly everything it needed
Speaking together with Luxembourgian Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, Stoltenberg said that Ukraine had received nearly all of the equipment it was promised by its allies.
The coffers are full of equipment
“More than 98 percent of the combat vehicles promised to Ukraine have already been delivered,” Stoltenberg explained while thanking the partners that provided the support.
Thousands of weapons ready to fight![]()
“That means over 1,550 armored vehicles, 230 tanks, and other equipment, including vast amounts of ammunition,” NATO’s Secretary General added.
More than just vehicles
All of the vehicles and equipment delivered will presumably be used in Ukraine’s coming spring counter-offensive that aims to push Russia out of even more occupied territory, but there are other things that will make a big difference.
Ukraine has the training to be successful![]()
Weapons and equipment alone won’t be enough to accomplish the goal of pushing Russia out of Ukraine, which is why Stoltenberg spent time discussing the training Ukrainian troops received over the last few months.
Nine new combat brigades
Western allies have trained nine new armored combat brigades, something Stoltenberg said would “put Ukraine in a strong position to continue to retake occupied territory.”
How can Ukraine win?![]()
Winning the offensive really does come down to whether or not Ukrainian troops have been able to master Western-style combined arms warfare according to CNN’s Tim Lister.
Obstacles facing the offensive
Lister reviewed satellite imagery of Russia’s defensive lines in Southern Ukraine and noted they’re littered with layers of anti-tank ditches, minefields, and other obstacles.
Miles of frontline defenses![]()
“The defenses continue for hundreds of miles across the meandering southern front,” Lister wrote, adding that this area was the one most likely to see the counter-offensive.
This is where Ukraine’s training will make the difference
“The challenge for the Ukrainians will be to bypass or overcome such obstacles at speed, creating momentum that causes Russian command and control to melt down,” Lister added, but that shouldn’t be a problem considering Ukraine’s new equipment.
Better equiptment ![]()
Ukraine’s German-made Leopard and British-made Challenger II tanks will make a huge difference when facing off against Russian T-72s. But the real game changer will be the thousand-plus armored vehicles ferrying troops into any breakout gaps created in the lines.
The crucial phase of the campaign
“The next 30 to 60 days of the campaign will be critical,” explained retired United States Marine Corps General Frank McKenzie to Newsweek’s Ellie Cook on April 27th.
Everything is lining up![]()
A combination of training, equipment, and planning is what will give Ukraine the win it needs according to Cook, and that might mean we won’t see a counter-offensive until everything is lined up in just the right way for Ukrainian war planners.
Ukraine only has one chance
