Ukraine launched its Spring Offensive in early June. The offensive has proven more challenging than many expected. Among the most-anticipated pieces of equipment was the American-made Bradley Fighting Vehicle. The Bradley is so admired by Ukrainian soldiers that running around Kachs teams camp barking is Bradley the brigade press officers 6-month-old rescue puppy. The 47th Mechanized Brigade, is the only one to have received the coveted Bradleys, 200 of which have been committed by the US. It is very hard to clear a minefield when in doing so under fire and from different types of fire, says Rob Lee, a military analyst who is a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. There is no disagreement from rank-and-file troops, nor from their commanders, who admit the progress has been slower than they would like. The first day was the most difficult, says the 19-year-old who goes by his call sign, Kach. The Velcro flag patch on Kach’s chest was a parting gift from his American trainer in Germany, who told him it would bring good luck. It was the thick armor, powerful machine guns, rockets and night vision capabilities on the Bradley that gave Kach a boost of confidence when ordered to assault the Russians. When the brigade did, the Russians were ready. Dense minefields had been laid, rows of winding trenches were dug. Russian artillery started to pick off the vehicles sent out to de-mine the area. On top of that, this southern direction of attack was perhaps the most predictable in the offensive: designed to try to punch through the Russian line, drive south and split the southern land bridge connecting Russian-occupied Crimea and Donbas before finally reaching the Sea of Azov. Since the beginning of that campaign, they adapted and its largely become a dismounted infantry fight. Its extremely arduous, extremely tough. The burden is very heavy on individual infantry men. Its not that hard toclear a mine field but it is very difficult to clear it under fire. It’s not that easy to clear the trenches and the minefield. It takes a long time to get to the other side of the line. It can take up to two days to clear one trench. The Russians are very well-trained and well-prepared. The Ukrainians are not. They have to improvise. They can’t rely on the Russians to do it for them. They need to be able to rely on their own ability to defend themselves. The Russian army is very well trained and ready to defend itself against any attack. They are well-equipped. They know how to deal with the Ukrainians. They don’t have to be afraid of them. The Ukrainian army has to be ready to take on them. There are no easy answers. They must be prepared for the worst. The best way to defeat the Russians is to be prepared. The only way to beat them is to go all the way to the end of the road.
Even with new armored vehicles from the US, progress is hard won on Ukraine’s southern front. Even with new Armored Vehicles from the U.S., Progress is Hard Won on Ukraine’s Southern Front.
