Ukrainian forces are gaining more ground at a rapid pace towards Russia’s “linchpin” town of Tokmak in southern Ukraine.
The Ukrainian counteroffensive has not “failed” and they have a lot of “combat power remaining” who are far from a “spent force.”
The counteroffensive in southern Ukraine has moved into Operation Tokmak which signals a major shift for Kyiv’s forces.
Russian forces are carrying out a series of defensive measures erecting “hedgehog” tank defences, digging more trenches and installing more checkpoints as the Ukrainian’s are full steam ahead for Tokmak.
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Russia’s 58th Combined Arms Army who are holed up in Tokmak have been making tactical progress.
The British Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in a Defence Intelligence update, “In recent days, Russian forces have likely reinforced their defences around the occupied town of Tokmak in southern Ukraine, which is approximately 16 km behind the current front line.
“Russia is likely deploying additional checkpoints, ‘hedgehog’ anti-tank defences and digging new trenches in the area, which is held by its 58th Combined Arms Army.
“Tokmak is preparing to become a linchpin of Russian’s second main line of defences.
“Improvements to the town’s defences likely indicate Russia’s growing concern about Ukrainian tactical penetrations of the first main defensive line to the north.”
The US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley has said that for Ukraine to “completely kick out all the Russians” is “going to be a very significant effort.”
He added, “It’ll take a considerable length of time to militarily eject all 200,000 or plus Russian troops out of Russian-occupied Ukraine.
“That’s a very high bar. It’s going to take a long time to do it.”
He said that the counteroffensive is “slower than the planners had anticipated, it has been steady,” and insisted it has not “failed.”
