The Ukrainian military prepared a plan for a successful counteroffensive of the Armed Forces in the northeast and south of the country, as a result of which 8,000 square kilometers of the country's territory were deoccupied in cooperation with American and British specialists and officials.
This is reported by The New York Times.
According to the initial plan developed by the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces at the direction of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Ukrainian Armed Forces were to conduct a large-scale counteroffensive in the south of the country. The goal is to liberate Kherson and cut off Mariupol from Russian forces in the east.
But as a result of the military games held by the Ukrainian and American military in the summer, it became clear that such an offensive is most likely doomed to failure.
According to Colin Kahl, head of the Pentagon's political department, these games made it possible to identify more effective options for a counteroffensive, which were presented to the Ukrainian leadership and high command.
"We conducted simulations and table-top exercises. These exercises showed that some ways of counterattack can be more successful than others. We gave this advice, and then the Ukrainians understood it and made their own decision," he said.
During August, at the request of the Ukrainians, US officials intensified the transmission of intelligence data on the position of Russian troops, emphasizing weak points in Russian lines. The intelligence also indicated that it would be difficult for Moscow to quickly reinforce its forces in northeastern Ukraine or redeploy troops from the south, even if it detects Ukraine's preparations for a counteroffensive.
"We saw that the Russians had moved many of their best forces south in preparation for another counteroffensive launched by the Ukrainians. Therefore, we had reason to believe that due to ongoing morale problems and pressure from the Ukrainians, the Russian armed forces may have foci that are a little more fragile than they appear on paper," Kahl reported.
To ensure the success of the offensive, the United States increased the supply of weapons to Ukraine. The news about the provision of American military aid to Ukraine, which appeared almost every week, gave the Ukrainian command confidence in the feasibility of the plan of a simultaneous attack on two fronts.
Although the Ukrainian Armed Forces still have the opportunity to regain control of more territory in eastern Ukraine, according to Ukrainian and American officials, the south is now the most important theater of operations.