ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine — Ukraine’s military has launched its long-awaited counteroffensive against Russian forces, one senior officer and one soldier near the front lines told NBC News.
After months of buildup to a campaign that could prove crucial in Kyiv’s bid to reclaim occupied territory, a wave of attacks on Thursday focused on the war’s southeastern front lines and appeared to represent a significant new push.
This new phase of the war, which many see as crucial to persuading Western allies to renew their support, comes as Ukraine grapples with the fallout from the destruction of a critical dam in the region.
Ukraine’s government has consistently said there would be no public announcement of the start of the offensive. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing military operations, while a Ukrainian military spokesman declined to comment.
Russian officials and the country’s cadre of influential military bloggers have been sounding the alarm for days and reported a sudden intensification of attacks in the southern Zaporizhzhia region on Thursday. Moscow first described a push to break through on the war’s southeastern front lines on Monday, claiming its defenses had held firm.
Ukrainian officials denied the claims, accusing Russia of lying and insisting that the long-anticipated offensive was still yet to come.
Zaporizhzhia — one of four partly occupied regions illegally annexed by the Kremlin — has long been seen as a likely point of a main Ukrainian strike, but Kyiv has seemingly worked to hide its intentions by launching multiple attacks across the vast front lines.
Britain’s defense ministry said Thursday that “heavy fighting continues along multiple sectors of the front” and in Zaporizhzhia Ukraine’s deputy defense minister, Hanna Maliar, said “the enemy is actively on the defensive.”
While developments on the battlefield have been the focus for months, the collapse of the Kakhovka dam this week was a stunning turn that has forced thousands to evacuate as floods sweep across the southern war zone.
The destruction could disrupt Ukraine’s battlefield plans and do far-reaching damage.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
