Global Courant
They fight more effectively at night than their Russian counterparts, US officials say.
They use American-made Bradley Fighting Vehicles to destroy Russian armor with anti-tank missiles.
And they are deploying combined arms tactics – synchronized attacks by infantry, armor and artillery forces – that they have learned from US and other Western troops.
A vehicle drives on a secondary road to avoid a destroyed bridge in the village of Liptsy, in the Kharkiv region, about 10 km from the Russian border, on June 22, 2023, amid the Russian military invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by SERGEY BOBOK / AFP)
Showtime has finally arrived for the 36,000 Ukrainian soldiers – nine brigades – who in recent months have been armed, equipped and trained outside Ukraine by the US and its NATO allies.
According to military experts, the performance of these Western-trained troops over the next few months will help determine the success of the long-awaited Ukrainian counter-offensive to drive Russian forces out of occupied territory.
His performance will also show whether the tens of billions of dollars in weapons Ukraine has received from its allies, including $40 billion from the Biden administration, are succeeding in transforming the Ukrainian military into a NATO-level fighting force.
Biden administration officials hope the nine brigades will demonstrate that the American method of warfare — which uses combined arms, synchronized tactics and regiments with high-ranking enlisted soldiers — is superior to the rigidly centralized command structure used by Russia.
But progress has been slow for Ukraine, and even proponents of the US track acknowledge that the start of the counteroffensive has yet to deliver any rapid breakthrough like the week-long recapture of Kharkiv by the Ukrainian army last fall.
“This is the toughest part of the counteroffensive for the Ukrainian military, and it is also the stage where the Russian forces are able to bring their remaining advantages in artillery and air support,” said Dara Massicot, senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation.
“If the Ukrainians are able to drive a wedge, then the dynamics could change.”
Ukrainian troops have had some small successes, breaking through a first line of Russian defenses and retaking several towns.
But they have lost some of their latest Western tanks and armored vehicles, and both sides have suffered heavy casualties, according to a British intelligence report.
“It’s very hard work,” said Frederick B. Hodges, a retired lieutenant general and former US Army high command in Europe.
But, he added, “that’s what they’ve been training for for many months.”
The early phases of training focused on specific US-supplied weapons systems, such as the howitzer.
Led by the 7th Army Training Command in Germany, the sessions included classroom instruction and field work beginning with small squads and later involving larger units, culminating in more complex combat exercises bringing together entire battalions and barracks. generals.
Other countries, such as Britain, Germany and Spain, have also trained Ukrainian brigades for the counteroffensive.
Forehead
The bulk of the nine Ukrainian brigades have yet to commit to the fight, but the vanguard of that main assault force is already making its mark.
Pentagon officials and military analysts say Ukraine has gained the upper hand by fighting at night. Thanks to night vision optics, Bradleys and German-supplied Leopard tanks can identify and attack Russian targets in the dark at a greater distance than Russian ones.
The difference is even sharper now that Russia is using older, less capable tanks after many of its newer, more advanced versions were destroyed in previous battles, analysts say.
Ukraine has reinforced the new units with battle-hardened battalions preparing to maneuver through Russian minefields and breach other heavily fortified defenses.
As part of their weeks-long training, soldiers in the brigades briefly rotated into frontline combat units before deploying their full units.
Ukraine does not speak of military losses, but battlefield conditions pose a serious challenge to Ukrainian troops.
Russian forces have built a network of minefields, tank traps and other defences, and the flat terrain, with little cover on much of the southern front, leaves advancing forces vulnerable to Russian artillery.
In the early days of the counteroffensive, several Bradley fighting vehicles and German Leopard tanks were abandoned by Ukrainian troops or destroyed by Russian forces, according to videos and photos posted online by bloggers and verified by The New York Times.
But Ukrainian tank crews have generally survived the attacks, and many of the damaged Bradleys and Leopards can be recovered and repaired, US and Ukrainian officials say.
“The Bradleys and Leopards are doing well,” said Rob Lee, a Russian military specialist at the Institute for Foreign Policy Research in Philadelphia and a former US Navy officer.
“They are more capable of survival than the other options Ukraine had. Ukrainian soldiers can have more confidence in future battles knowing that they are more likely to survive.”
Ukrainian troops have broken through initial fighting positions along part of the front and continue to search for Russian vulnerabilities, but remain several kilometers from Russia’s main defensive lines.
The Russians are waiting to see if the Ukrainians make significant advances before making major moves or adjustments, US officials and military analysts have said.
Ukrainian forces have already faced minefields, trenches, anti-tank ditches, airstrikes and artillery fire.
Bad weather last week, which made muddy fields impassable for heavy armored vehicles, has also hampered the efforts of both armies, the officials said.
For newly trained troops, speed will be of paramount importance.
“They have to keep moving, because the slower they go, the more exposed they’re going to be,” said Seth G. Jones, senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
For more than a year, Biden administration officials tried to keep aspects of the formation secret, fearing it would fuel the idea that it is the United States, not Ukraine, that is at war with Russia.
In January, the administration allowed journalists to view portions of the training in Grafenwöhr, Germany, but could only follow Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and observe his interactions with U.S. and Ukrainian troops and commanders.
They were not allowed to report on specific conversations between General Milley and the Ukrainian forces, nor to take photos or videos.
On the day of his visit, according to the officials, General Milley called on Ukrainian troops to defend their country.
While meeting with the commanders, he said that “this is one of those moments where if you want to make a difference, this is it.”
Ukraine is counting on the brigades to help break through Russian defenses, recapture some of the nearly 20% Russian-occupied country and possibly cut the land bridge connecting Russia to the strategically important Crimean peninsula.
A Pentagon official said much of the training consisted of teaching Ukrainian troops to go on the offensive, rather than stay on the defensive.
For years, Ukrainian troops have worked on defensive tactics as Russian-backed separatists launched attacks in eastern Ukraine.
When Moscow launched its full-scale invasion last year, Ukrainian troops jeopardized their defensive operations, denying Russia the quick victory it had anticipated.
If the counter-offensive stalls and the conflict turns into a protracted insurgency, one wonders if Western countries will continue to support Ukraine with current levels of military aid.
Upcoming elections in some of those countries, especially the United States, pose another potential stumbling block for future support.
But if Ukraine can piece together a series of tactical victories and string them together at successive turning points, kyiv might be able to force Moscow’s hand at the negotiating table, US officials say.
“Ukraine’s success in the counteroffensive would have two effects,” Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken declared last week in Washington.
“It would strengthen his position at any negotiating table that arises, and may also have the effect of really causing Putin to finally focus on negotiating an end to the war he started.”
Helene Cooper is a correspondent at the Pentagon. She was previously a staff writer, diplomatic correspondent and White House correspondent, and she was part of the team awarded the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting for their coverage of the Ebola epidemic. @helenecooper
Eric Schmitt is a senior writer who has traveled the world covering terrorism and homeland security. He was also a correspondent at the Pentagon. A Times staff member since 1983, he has shared four Pulitzer Prizes. @EricSchmittNYT
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