Ukrainian officials made it clear that the Armed Forces of Ukraine plan to continue counterattack operations in the upcoming winter in order to consolidate the recent military successes and not allow Russian troops to intercept the initiative on the battlefield. This is how analysts by the American Institute for Studying War (ISW).
The main conclusions of their daily review: the ability of Ukraine to keep military initiative depends on whether the Ukrainian forces will continue active counter -decoration operations this winter.
Russia lost the initiative in Ukraine in the summer after the culmination of the offensive in the Donbass. Ukrainian forces have captured and hold the initiative since August 2022 and have since conducted a number of successful counter -deception operations.
Ukraine freed most of the Kharkov region in September, Kherson in November, currently creates the conditions for a new offensive in other places this winter. The Ukrainian campaign is developed in such a way as to deprive Russia of the initiative and free the territories of Ukraine more captured by Russia.
weather conditions in the winter of 2023 will probably determine the time frame for Ukraine to continue the series of operational successes with minimal pauses.
As severe frosts approached at the end of December, Ukrainian forces will again be able to use weather conditions in their interests, since winter is the best season for combat operations with the participation of mechanized units.
If the allies and partners of Ukraine do not support Ukrainian forces in conducting large -scale decisive counter -operations this winter, then the ability of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to conduct maneuverable military operations will be limited to at least until the end of the spring troops in March 2023. Such a development of events is likely to deprive Ukraine of the advantage he gained and will give Russian forces a valuable delay for three to four months to recover and better prepare for hostilities.