Nearly seven months since the war in Ukraine began, a Ukrainian official revealed that the country’s counter-offensives are now focused on a much more complex objective — to inflict chaos among invading Russian forces.
Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said that striking Russian supply lines, ammunition depots, and other critical military infrastructure deep into occupied territories creates confusion and conflict among Moscow’s troops.
It also counters Russia’s use of artillery power to gain control of strategic regions in Ukraine.
“So, Russia has kind of taught everybody that a counteroffensive requires huge amounts of manpower like a giant fist and just goes in one direction,” Podolyak told The Guardian. “But a Ukrainian counteroffensive looks very different. We don’t use the tactics of the 60s and 70s, of the last century.”
The presidential advisor warned that more attacks could be similar to recent mysterious strikes on a railway junction and an airbase in Crimea in the “next two or three months.”
Ukraine, however, has not claimed responsibility for the attacks.
More Weapons Needed
Podolyak said Ukraine needs more weapons to carry out effective strikes against Russian supply lines, specifically 50 to 80 more multiple launch rocket systems.
Kyiv already operates several truck-mounted High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) donated by the United States.
Last month, Ukraine Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov revealed that 50 Russian ammunition depots had been destroyed with the systems.
HIMARS strikes have reportedly severed Russia’s supply chain to “take away their ability to conduct active fighting.”
Reznikov described the rocket system as a “game-changer” after striking a Russian aerial operations command center and repelling Russian troops in the town of Izyum.
