The First Day of Ukraine's Armed Forces Counteroffensive Will Determine Victory or Defeat

The early days of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' upcoming counteroffensive will be crucial and will determine its further course.

The most successful counteroffensive will be considered if Russian troops flee from the Ukrainian army without significant fighting, stated Franz-Stefan Gady, a senior researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, regarding cyber capabilities and the forthcoming conflicts, as reported by Gazeta.ua and Foreign Policy.

According to the expert, the Russia-Ukraine war has entered a phase of attrition in recent months, with neither side having significant advantages on the battlefield and both exhausting each other.

The specialist believes it will be challenging for the Ukrainian army to avoid the debilitating nature of the war, even if the offensive forces are large, well-equipped, and prepared.

He posits that there is one scenario to avoid Ukraine's collapse in the war. This scenario hinges on the first hours of the anticipated counteroffensive: “The first 24 hours of the Ukrainian counteroffensive will be decisive, with factors such as tactical surprise, battlefield leadership, and morale playing a critical role, as significant as the weapons themselves,” the expert noted.

He described a possible scenario for the counteroffensive: “Armored columns break through Russian defenses, rapidly advance into occupied territories, and pose a threat to important military centers and control points of the enemy,” he stated.