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U.S. doubts Ukraine offensive will yield big gains, leaked document says
Washington Post MSN ^ | 4/10/2023 | Alex Horton, John Hudson, Isabelle Khurshudyan, Samuel Oakford

Posted on 04/10/2023 3:53:09 PM PDT by marcusmaximus

Ukraine’s challenges in massing troops, ammunition and equipment could cause its military to fall “well short” of Kyiv’s original goals for an anticipated counteroffensive aimed at retaking Russian-occupied areas this spring, according to U.S. intelligence assessments contained in a growing leak of classified documents revealing Washington’s misgivings about the state of the war.

-snip-

The document forecasting only modest success in Ukraine’s forthcoming counteroffensive indicates that Kyiv’s strategy revolves around reclaiming contested areas in the east while pushing south in a bid to sever Russia’s land bridge to Crimea, the peninsula Moscow illegally annexed in 2014 and now uses as a supply route for its forces inside Ukraine. The potency of entrenched Russian defenses coupled with “enduring Ukrainian deficiencies in training and munitions supplies probably will strain progress and exacerbate casualties during the offensive,” the document says.

-snip-

In the weeks since the leaked document was drafted, U.S. officials have held talks with Ukrainian leaders to ensure that Kyiv’s ambitions for the offensive match its capabilities, said U.S. officials who, like others interviewed for this report, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.

-snip-

U.S. officials also have held tabletop exercises with Ukrainian military leaders to demonstrate how different offensive scenarios could play out, and the consequences of spreading forces too thin, one official said. This could stretch supply lines too far, making it difficult to hold retaken territory while trying to push further into occupied areas.

All parties came away from those conversations with a sense that Ukraine was beginning to understand the limitations of what it could achieve in the offensive and preparing accordingly, U.S. officials said. While severing the land bridge is unlikely to happen

(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: alexhorton; crimea; herecomestheclowncar; isabellekhurshudyan; johnhudson; marcusmaxitroll; russia; samueloakford; ukraine
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Another senior Ukrainian official said the leaked documents were unlikely to compromise the planned counteroffensive. “Everyone knows we’re low on ammunition — the president and the defense minister talk about that openly,” the official said. “And it’s been obvious to everyone since November that the next counteroffensive will be focused on the south, first Melitopol and then Berdyansk. But the exact place — we can change that the week before.”
1 posted on 04/10/2023 3:53:09 PM PDT by marcusmaximus
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To: marcusmaximus

Tragic.


2 posted on 04/10/2023 4:04:25 PM PDT by wildcard_redneck (Biden will mess up the Ukraine worse than Afghanistan.)
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To: marcusmaximus

It’s the Clown Counteroffensive.


3 posted on 04/10/2023 4:10:56 PM PDT by JonPreston
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To: marcusmaximus

There’s two take aways from this war. Russia is a third rate military power and Ukraine is no better despite support from the U.S.


4 posted on 04/10/2023 4:17:44 PM PDT by ConservativeInPA ("How did you go bankrupt?" Bill asked. "Two ways," Mike said. "Gradually and then suddenly." )
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To: marcusmaximus

Hopefully it’s all misdirection. But I would not count on it. Biden and his woke admin are gloriously incompetent.


5 posted on 04/10/2023 4:21:08 PM PDT by Brilliant
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To: Brilliant

> Biden and his woke admin are gloriously incompetent.

That is something to be relied upon.


6 posted on 04/10/2023 4:23:01 PM PDT by glorgau
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To: marcusmaximus
How much do you wanna bet, Marky?

It's the last stand for NATO in Ukraine.

And, we know all about your track record and the Biden regime and British's in this war. It's consistently wrong.

7 posted on 04/10/2023 4:28:41 PM PDT by Kazan
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To: Kazan

If the Western media were consistently wrong then we would not be discussing a future Ukrainian offensive, 14 months after Russia invaded.


8 posted on 04/10/2023 4:41:37 PM PDT by ansel12 (NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.)
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To: marcusmaximus

9 posted on 04/10/2023 4:44:47 PM PDT by McGruff (Don't underestimate Joe's ability to f*** things up - Barack Obama)
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To: ConservativeInPA
Russia is a third rate military power

I guess this means the United States is a fourth rate military power.

10 posted on 04/10/2023 4:48:26 PM PDT by Right_Wing_Madman
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To: JonPreston

agreed


11 posted on 04/10/2023 4:53:27 PM PDT by mylife (I was a sort of country boy, a cockeyed optimist, wrapped in international intrigue and espionage)
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To: JonPreston

NO! The Ukrainian Army of Freedom will push back the Orks to recapture Marapol and cut the land link to Crimea. The Ruzzian Army will be crushed with the new drive, new army of the Ukraine and their new tanks and other system. Watch as the new Weapons shatter the enemies of Freedom and Democracy! The tide is turning. The Balkmut trap has killed Putin’s best fighters. He has nothing left. He will be powerless to stop the fall of Crimea—when it goes, he will be forced out of power and Russia surrenders to NATO. The war will be over with a Zelenskyy victory. This will be one for the history books!


12 posted on 04/10/2023 4:54:26 PM PDT by Forward the Light Brigade ( Ride to the sound of the Guns!)
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To: Brilliant
Biden and his woke admin are gloriously incompetent.

February 2022, two months after the Afghanistan debacle, was a good time for Russia to resolve its eight-year conflict with Ukraine.
13 posted on 04/10/2023 4:57:00 PM PDT by Right_Wing_Madman
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To: Right_Wing_Madman
I guess this means the United States is a fourth rate military power.

When was the last time we won a war?

14 posted on 04/10/2023 5:03:07 PM PDT by ConservativeInPA ("How did you go bankrupt?" Bill asked. "Two ways," Mike said. "Gradually and then suddenly." )
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To: Forward the Light Brigade

Zelensky has no one left to pull the triggers.


15 posted on 04/10/2023 5:09:31 PM PDT by JonPreston
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To: Right_Wing_Madman

Probably not that high.


16 posted on 04/10/2023 5:10:27 PM PDT by JonPreston
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To: ConservativeInPA

Alternative take away

Ukraine— a minor military power— stopped and repelled one of the top three military powers in the world.

US help was probably critical to that result

Especially president trump giving lethal aid such as javelins instead of non lethal aid like bidenobama.


17 posted on 04/10/2023 5:11:12 PM PDT by lonestar67 (America is exceptional)
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To: lonestar67

“Especially president Trump giving lethal aid such as javelins instead of non lethal aid like bidenobama.”

When asked for munitions, Obumbler sent blankets!


18 posted on 04/10/2023 5:25:56 PM PDT by Does so ( 🇺🇦...................."Who is Ray Epps?" should be overstamped on every piece of currency.)
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To: Does so

So true


19 posted on 04/10/2023 5:33:02 PM PDT by lonestar67 (America is exceptional)
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To: marcusmaximus

Armor without air support wont do the job. The new tanks on line this summer need much more air support. Plus Ukraine has lost some of their best soldiers so far and the untested reserves will be going against entrenched Russian forces with massive fire power.

And the massing of Ukr forces will be very visible to the Russians so they will have plenty of time to counter it.


20 posted on 04/10/2023 5:39:47 PM PDT by Uncle Lonny
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