The fight for the city is fought on a different level, according to the Europe journalist. “You shouldn’t be looking at the number of square miles of land gained, but rather at the bigger game and plan.” Hahn quotes statements by (former) generals. “They’re talking about tearing down the Russian operating system.”
This picture can be seen throughout the offensive on the Ukrainian side, notes Hahn. “Everything goes step by step. But you can also say: Go thoughtfully. Bachmoet is a good example of how Ukraine can give the offensive a chance to succeed.’
There are many Russians
However, Russia’s strength is great on the other side of the front. ‘Ukraine certainly has good positions, but there are a lot of Russians and they too have many reservations. As a result, she can take a long time.’
Ukrainian President Zelensky agrees it will take a long time. He has previously admitted that the offensive is proceeding more slowly than he wished. Although he said progress was being made “in all directions”. The fact that the offensive started so late is mainly due to the West, Zelensky believes. He states that due to the slow delivery of weapons, the offensive could not start sooner.