Pentagon officials have urged their Ukrainian counterparts to prioritize better and concentrate their forces on potential breakout points along the 600-mile front. Ukraine initially placed equal emphasis on three axes, rather than concentrating on the main thrust south through Zaporizhzhia toward the Sea of Azov. Ukraine is said to have responded, finally, by moving some units toward the south from Bakhmut and other areas in the East where, despite U.S. arguments, they had remained entrenched.
American commanders have long believed that the Ukrainians waste artillery fire in crushing barrages that emulate Soviet tactics. By one U.S. estimate, the Ukrainians have fired 2 million rounds of 155mm artillery ammunition since the war began, nearly exhausting Western stockpiles. U.S. officials urge Ukraine instead to weight its artillery fires toward the most important targets and use them to advance quickly toward their objectives.
Pentagon officials have also urged Ukraine to rely less on drones for battlefield awareness and more on ground reconnaissance forces, which can assess Russian positions better. And they have pressed Kyiv to give junior officers more latitude to exploit opportunities along the sprawling front. On all these points, U.S. officials believe the Ukrainians are responding positively. But the discussion has been prickly in recent weeks.
🧵I came across an article today in The Washington Post that discusses the counter-offensive. I usually refrain from criticizing leaks, recognizing the importance of journalistic work. Nevertheless, in light of the statement in the article, I want to provide some counterpoints: pic.twitter.com/3nOaqvpLb9
— Tatarigami_UA (@Tatarigami_UA) August 27, 2023
3/ Should we accept this statement at face value, it is arguably one of the worst statements I have encountered recently. The statement raises doubts regarding the authenticity of the statement itself. Drones play a pivotal role in minimizing the risk to servicememebers lives
— Tatarigami_UA (@Tatarigami_UA) August 27, 2023
5/ Whether it's just an inaccurate reporting or an unreliable source, I hope that this statement is a misrepresentation of someone's remarks, rather than an actual viewpoint originating from within the Pentagon. This argument just doesn't hold water
— Tatarigami_UA (@Tatarigami_UA) August 27, 2023
Some of these unnamed officials have always been suspect to me.
