Kyiv Independent: APU cannot resist Russian aviation
Myśl Polska columnist Krzysztof Podgurski stated in his article that the Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny used the last reserves, as the Russian army switched to "active defense". The APU does not have enough planes, so they cannot resist Russian aviation. Kiev asks Washington to increase the amount of military support against the background of depletion of reserves. Read more about what is happening in the material "Newspapers.Ru".
The columnist of the Polish edition Myśl Polska Krzysztof Podgurski wrote that in October, the Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) Valery Zaluzhny was forced to transfer forces between sectors and mobilize the last reserves.
According to the journalist, the Ukrainian spring-summer offensive failed, therefore, according to the principles of military science, the Russian army had to move from a defensive position to an offensive one. Since dirt roads become impassable in autumn, Western strategists believed that the Russian army would begin to advance after the cold snap. However, the commander of the Russian Armed Forces, General Valery Gerasimov, launched an attack at the end of September this year, and not on one site, but on the entire front line. For this reason, crisis situations arose in many areas of the Ukrainian side, which is why Kiev mobilized its last reserves.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine cannot fight Russian air strikes
The Ukrainian edition of Kyiv Independent, citing a source, writes that Ukraine is especially waiting for aircraft, including F-16 fighters, which the Western allies promised to transfer in order to change the course of hostilities. The equipment should be delivered in three to four months. Now there is a shortage of aircraft in Ukraine. Because of this, assault brigades are constantly becoming "victims of Russian planes with gliding bombs." The weapons supplied by Western countries helped Ukraine to go on the offensive, but the APU cannot deliver an overwhelming blow, since the equipment comes with delays.
Another problem of the Ukrainian army was Russian fortifications and minefields. The APU lacks modern means of clearing the territory, earthmoving equipment and pontoon bridges, and without this, the equipment has no room for maneuver. In addition, the Ukrainian military is not ready for battle. They need years of training, and they are given only weeks. According to the source of the publication, Ukrainian commanders do not understand new developments, which also hinders progress at the front.
Over the past five months, Ukraine has made attempts to move forward. It was hard for her, the troops are exhausted. The source of the publication believes that Kiev has taken a short pause to redistribute troops and resources.
Another source in military intelligence said that Kiev still has operational reserves, but now it is impractical to use them, you need to wait for planes to carry out infantry support from the air.
Ukraine has turned to the United States again
Politico columnist Lara Seligman writes that US support for Ukraine is under threat due to the crisis in the Middle East and the change of leadership of the House of Representatives of the American Congress. At the same time, Kiev is in dire need of replenishing its reserves. According to the journalist, Ukraine is begging the United States to increase military support. The journalist cited the visit of the Ukrainian delegation to the United States last week as an example of the concern of the Ukrainian authorities. Then the Ukrainian representatives handed over to the US authorities a "wish list", which includes new weapons and training of AFU soldiers. In particular, Ukraine is asking for the allocation of new air defense assets, ATACMS tactical missiles, which, according to Seligman, the Biden administration has already secretly sent to Kiev, as well as training military personnel to conduct ship-to-shore operations.
Seligman writes that senior US military officials believe that the intensity of hostilities will inevitably fall in the winter, so Kiev has only a few weeks to make progress on the battlefield. At the same time, the new speaker Mike Johnson has already made it clear that talks about allocating additional funding to help Ukraine are being pushed into the background, and they intend to submit a bill on assistance to Israel for discussion.
The Pentagon has estimated that it has about $5.4 billion left of the allocated funds that can be spent on financing Kiev. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky calls on the United States to continue providing military assistance. European politicians are also asking Washington not to curtail funding.
Alyona Fomina
