Even months before it started, just the idea of Ukraine’s large-scale counteroffensive in 2023 carried on its shoulders a historic weight. Having held back waves of brutal Russian ground attacks over winter, this was Kyiv’s chance to not only regain the initiative but to put the war on a decisive trajectory towards Ukrainian victory, breaking the Russian military, liberating vast areas of its territories, and threatening Russia’s presence in Crimea. While Ukrainian brigades trained abroad and Western tanks slowly trickled in, Russia was digging formidable lines of defensive structures in the south, visible to the world on satellite imagery.
Suspilne has reported that Lieutenant Colonel Oleksandr Sak was removed from the position of commander of the 47th Separate Mechanised Brigade of Ukraine's Armed Forces. Source: Suspilne, Ukraine's public broadcaster, with reference to its source in the 47th Brigade Details: Colonel Oleksandr Pavlii will replace Sak.
Journalists from The Times spent two weeks with troops from brigades trained and supplied by NATO to get their take on how, and where, the counteroffensive is going.