Counteroffensive: Ukraine claims to have retaken more villages | DW News

Ukraine's military says it's retaken a fourth and a fifth village from Russian forces in the south-east. The gains reported over two days are the first in months – and are part of Kyiv's new counter-offensive.

The villages allegedly recaptured are in a cluster of settlements in Donetsk – a region partially occupied by Russia. Ukrainian troops released this video claiming to show their flag being Blahodatne. Despite Kyiv's claim advancing a few kilometers, Russia's military continues to insist that it has succesfully repelled Ukrainian attacks in the area.

For further analysis on the frontline in Ukraine, we are joined by former military intelligence officer Frank Ledwidge, who joins us from Oxford and we talk to Domitilla Sagramoso, Senior Lecturer in Security and Development at King's College London.

#ukraine #russia #counteroffensive

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[mickser]

Russia is winning on the battlefield, Ukraine is winning on Twitter. 4 villages taken and the slava Ukraina brigade are wetting themselves 😂😂

[chogaminggm]

ukraine is still 20km from russias 1st line of defense all they have taken is abandoned settlements in the grey zone and taken them without a fight!

[mariomusic]

The total failure of the NATO counter-offensive planned for 6 months. Captured 3 villages in a counteroffensive in eight days and lost over 10, 000 soldiers and numerous NATO armored vehicles and equipment.

[advancetotabletop]

These attacks, like Belagrod, are meant to force Russia to spread its troops over a larger area. Also note that some Russian villages are very small by western standards. Western media has done a poor job of explaining this. I remember the media saying that Russian soldiers captured a train station, when that “station” was just a sitting area made of concrete, sort of like a bus stop.

[arcadyskoit]

Lots of lives lost for little gain..
I don’t know why DW always ask Frank Ledwidge… he is no more informed than anyone else

[keithdunwoody]

We need to stop measuring every step and making it a success or failure paradigm. This is going to take some time ffs.

[Alitacyan]

Every village retaken and every civilian rescued is a victory. Slava Ukraine!

[ericdpeerik]

These are recon skirmishes. They were successful, so the tactics work. Now it's waiting for a gap.

[polysporin]

Russia is letting the Ukraine enter the heavily mined zones. Ukraine is moving through heavy minefields, getting stuck and taking shelling. Ukraine has not even reached half way through the grey zone mined area, and not even have reached the 1st line of Russian fortifications. There is at least 3 lines of fortified lines and bunkers.
Blitzkrieg through the mine fields is suicide. ☠

[conorwhite]

An expert talking about the situation on the front lines sitting in London 😂

[aenorist]

Frank is a bit wrong where it comes to air power ... Ukraine is having serious issues with its SHORAD right now, we see quite a lot of effective russian helicopter attacks on advancing columns.
They need to fix that.

[_Twink]

The offensive kicked off what, 5 days ago? Why is the standard for Ukrainian victory so high, and russia so low?

[xbandosx]

Listening to this guy you would think that Ukraine is winning, yet they have 5 times if not 10 times less artillery than the Russians, and Ukraine is on the offensive at the moment while the Russians are fortified and raining artillery on top of them? I am very sceptical of your analysis mr. Frank Ledwidge.

[SkyGlitchGalaxy]

Straight forward analysis from Frank and clear and concise.

[quinoro]

It’s not the villages. It’s the size of territory recovered inside the occupied land.

[frdyprd]

All those villages are in the gray zone they haven’t even make it to the first defensive line yet Russia has 5 defensive lines

[paololuckyluke]

Hopefully, this war will end with Putin’s internment in a Siberian gulag.

[steveborgmalta]

Civilized countries STAND with Ukraine! 🇺🇦 ♥

[kingofdevils]

Considering the size of the reserve they used obviously that was a nice little advance

[haypapa]

they havent gotten to even the 1 st of 3 russian defence lines.