" It's time for the Russian army to run,"

As new Ukrainian counter-offensive kicks off in south, Zelenskiy's boasting could overestimate expectations. The truth is that Ukraine may not liberate its territories until the end of this year or even next..

However, while the Ukrainian army is trying to advance towards the Black Sea coast, Zelensky is giving a defiant response to Vladimir Putin's assertion that Ukraine is supposedly not a real country.. After all, Ukraine not only survived, it can even regain part of the occupied territories. American journalist and writer David Ignatius writes about this in an article for the Washington Post..

Military strategists have said for centuries that the best defense is a good offense.. And if the Ukrainian move to the coast succeeds, it will restore the country's economic viability by taking the pressure off the important port in Odessa.. Moreover, such a success could jeopardize the Russian occupation of Crimea by destroying the land corridor between the peninsula and the part of Donbas that Moscow was able to seize..

Ukrainian and American officials do not talk about the details of the offensive. Zelensky stressed in his address: “You will not hear details from every responsible person”. But open sources make it clear that the Ukrainians are trying to push Russian forces from the Dnieper towards Kherson, as well as from Zaporozhye towards the Crimea and the Azov coast.. But attacks in other parts of the country are also very likely..

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Ignatius recalls that the current capabilities of Ukraine appeared thanks to the supply of American HIMARS systems and other high-precision weapons, which allowed the Ukrainian army to destroy Russian field headquarters, ammunition depots, bridges and transport hubs. The days when Russians could sit at the borders with impunity and destroy Ukrainian cities with missiles are now in the past..

“Among the targets are command centers. Russia is having a very hard time,” said an unnamed U.S. official..

He explained that the Ukrainian strikes disoriented the Russian army.. Analysts believe Russia has lost thousands of officers, including hundreds of colonels and dozens of generals.. Ukrainian strikes forced Russian commanders to constantly move their headquarters. And this further exacerbated Russia's problems with logistics and command..

Another great advantage of Ukraine in the new phase of the war is the guerrilla campaign behind the front line of the Russian occupiers.. The US military commanders have warned their Russian counterparts that they will face violent underground resistance, as evidenced by the American experience in Iraq and Afghanistan.. Russian officials did not listen. And now they have to deal with attacks they can't suppress with all their firepower.. Every Ukrainian with a phone is a potential intelligence collector and artillery spotter.

This guerrilla campaign, like HIMARS precision strikes, is a product of US efforts to plan and train Ukrainian forces.. Since 2014, US Special Operations Forces have been teaching Ukrainians how to fight the occupying army, using combat units similar to those that have effectively fought against al-Qaeda and Islamic State militants.. Gen. Richard Clarke, who will retire this week as head of US Special Operations Command, explained in an interview how America helped Ukrainian special forces prepare to fight Russian invaders..

“Since 2014, we have been able to create conditions. In February, when the Russians invaded, we had been working with Ukrainian special operations forces for seven years.. With our help, they have increased their strength by increasing their numbers, but most importantly, they have developed their capabilities in both combat attacks and information operations, ”Clark explained..

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In preparation for countering the Russian invasion, each brigade of the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces created resistance companies from local residents last year and began to train them.. Such companies were formed in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, as well as in the Donbass. Since these regions were potential targets for Russian invasion.

“Today, if you are a Russian soldier, you have to constantly look around. Because it is not known where the threat will appear at any moment.. The Russians cannot look at any Ukrainian and know for sure that this person is not an enemy,” Clarke said..

Underground resistance destroyed many collaborators in the occupied territories. Over the past few weeks, Russian-appointed " Some of them were poisoned or shot. Faced with fierce Ukrainian resistance, Moscow began to actively involve mercenaries from the Wagner group in the war.. They are easy to recognize on the battlefield.. Because they wear conspicuous 'death with a scythe' chevrons next to slogans like 'Death is our business and business is good' or 'I don't believe in anything, I'm here for violence'. This grotesque and cynical brutality reflects the spirit of the war unleashed by Putin. But after 6 months of fighting, the offensive bogged down. And Russia's "