Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited eight combat brigades in the Donetsk Operational and Tactical Grouping on Monday, 4 September. Source: Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Telegram; Ukrainian President's Office Details: Zelenskyy visited the 109th Separate Territorial Defence Brigade, 110th Separate Mechanised Brigade, 36th Separate Marine Brigade, 59th Separate Motorised Infantry Brigade, 53rd Separate Mechanised Brigade, 79th Separate Air Assault Brigade, 37th Separate Marine Brigade, and 38
mechanized fighting unit in that short length of time may have been a bridge too far. that even with advanced western weapons and training from the best in the business, right, that the time frame was short. and that even for the best u.s. combat brigades, months, years of training still make it difficult to break through these kinds of lines. so with weeks of training, it just may have been too high a hope. you also mentioned your reporting that the western officials feared this slow counteroffensive could cause a gap amongst ukrainian officials. what s the concern? reporter: well, you re already hearing it, right? i was in aspen for the security forum just a couple of weeks ago. the ukrainian president spoke there, and at the time, he said, listen, we d like to have proceeded more quickly, but we didn t get the weapons and the training soon enough, point something fire, as it were, at the west for not moving quickly enough to support this counteroffensive. you re hearing more of
armed forces into a capable, credible, mac ignites fighting unit, in that short length of time, may have been a bridge too far. that even with advanced western weapons, and training from the best in the business, the timeframe was short. and that even for the best u. s. combat brigades, months, years of training, still make it difficult to break through these kinds of lines. so with weeks of training, it just may have been too high of a hope. you also mentioning reporting that the western officials fear the slow counter officials what s the concern. well you re already hearing it, i was in aspen for the security forum, just have a ways to go, the ukrainian president spoke there. and at the time, they said we would like to have proceeded more quickly. but we didn t get the weapons and the trainings soon enough, pointing some fire, as it were, at the west for not moving quickly enough to support this
initiative. so i don t have a prediction. i think it will happen probably within weeks, if not the next couple of months. but they will choose a time and place that puts their forces at the best advantage. and i am confident, based on their performance over the last year, that they will do so wisely. year, that they will do so wisel . year, that they will do so wisel. . year, that they will do so wisel . . . year, that they will do so wisel. ., , wisely. do you have a sense that ukrainian wisely. do you have a sense that ukrainian forces - wisely. do you have a sense that ukrainian forces are - wisely. do you have a sense i that ukrainian forces are ready for this counteroffensive with the forces and weapons they have at their disposal? if the forces and weapons they have at their disposal? if you look at the have at their disposal? if you look at the last have at their disposal? if you look at the last four - have at their disposal? if you look at the last four to - have at thei
the next couple of months. but they will choose a time and place that puts their forces at the best advantage. and i am confident, based on their performance over the last year, that they will do so wisely. do you have a sense that ukrainian forces are ready for this counteroffensive with the forces and weapons they have at their disposal? if you look at the last four to six months, based on the support from the 15 nation coalition, supporting them with military assistance, ukraine has been able to assemble about nine new combat brigades. a brigade is about 5000 troops. these troops have been organised, trained and equipped with largely western equipment. and they have not yet seen action. so i think the ukrainians have amassed the capacity to launch a very significant counteroffensive, and that s what we should be anticipating in the coming weeks. i want to ask you about what we might anticipate as a response from russia. the russian ambassador to the uk spoke to the bbc at the weeken