Ukrainian Armed Forces' front breakthroughs possible in fall? Expert opinion
Illustrative photo (Getty Images)
Ukraine is currently holding the defense in the east and conducting an offensive operation in Russia's Kursk region. Experts do not rule out that this fall there could be targeted operations by Ukrainian forces.
More about it is detailed in the RBC-Ukraine article "From battlefield to homefront: What military, economic and energy challenges Ukraine faces this fall".
In the coming weeks, Ukraine is expected to maintain its defense on the approaches in the Mirnograd-Pokrovsk direction, which is the most "heated" area of the front.
The head of the Center for Military-Legal Studies, Oleksandr Musiienko, believes that this will be the final battle of the fall of 2024. According to the RBC-Ukraine source, the active phase may last until October, after which the enemy will need a pause.
Some so-called Russian bloggers believe that the Ukrainian Armed Forces' operation in the Kursk region may be a diversionary maneuver before the main strike. Russians are anticipating a breakthrough by Ukraine's Defense Forces in the Zaporizhzhia region through Vasylivka, with access to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in Enerhodar and toward Tokmak.
This direction is strategic for Ukraine and logical in the context of a breakthrough. However, the question remains whether there are enough resources to carry it out.
Musiienko does not rule out possible breakthroughs in the fall. He emphasized that the situation is constantly changing, and therefore, he does not exclude Ukrainian operations "as soon as the opportunity arises."
"There may be point operations until the end of the year, with a more significant one in the spring-summer of 2025," Musiienko said. Regarding the southern direction, he added that "this option is not the most likely; other scenarios are possible."
Frontline situation
Since August 6, Ukraine has been conducting an offensive operation in Russia's Kursk region. There, Ukrainian Defense Forces have managed to take control of about a hundred settlements and break through Russian defenses over dozens of kilometers.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Kursk operation has helped to mitigate the threat to the Kharkiv, Sumy, and Chernihiv regions.
Meanwhile, Russian troops continue their offensive actions in eastern Ukraine. The heaviest fighting is occurring in the Pokrovsk and Toretsk directions. Residents are being urged to evacuate urgently.
