Ukraine Close to Major Success at Front – Chief of Estonian Defence Intelligence

Margo Grosberg, intelligence chief of the Estonian Defence Forces, said that the actions of the Ukrainian troops during the counteroffensive and signs of complications for the occupation army of the Russian Federation may indicate that in the near future Ukraine can expect great success at the front.

According to ERR, Grosberg commented on the tactics of the Armed Forces of Ukraine entailing the destruction of command posts and logistics centres of Russian troops with targeted strikes, on successes in areas near Bakhmut, as well as on data suggesting the possible exhaustion of Russian reserves.

"All this suggests that Ukrainians are close to great success."

According to Grosberg, the preparatory offensive operations that the Armed Forces are currently conducting are aimed at shackling Russian units in narrow areas and finding weaknesses for a breakthrough. For the same purpose, they attack important transport hubs, logistics points and command and control centres of the Russian army in the rear areas.

He also said that the Ukrainian units near Bakhmut managed to capture key areas north and south of the city, which allowed artillery fire on Russian positions in the city.

Another contributing factor is the fact that the Russian airborne troops, stationed in Bakhmut since the spring, are still tied to the city, suffer losses and cannot be transferred to another place or withdrawn to the reserve. 

Grosberg added that in the areas of Zaporizhzhia and Velyka Novosilka, Ukrainian units have liberated more land and, with targeted strikes, destroyed key objects of the Russian Federation in the area. He drew particular attention to the attack on the hotel in Berdiansk, as a result of which Lieutenant General Oleg Tsokov, the Russian deputy commander of the Southern Military District, was killed this week.

Grosberg also drew attention to the case of Russian General Ivan Popov, dismissed for his criticism of the General Staff and the leak of records on the position of the 58th Army under his command. "All this suggests that the reserves of the Russian Federation are being exhausted since the units are not rotated," Grosberg stated.

Before that, the Pentagon, commenting on the claim that the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is taking place at a slower rate than expected, said that progress was coming at the cost of huge efforts.