The commander of the Third Army Corps of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), Brigadier General Andriy Biletsky, said that the main goal of Operation Vivaldi in the northern part of the eastern Donetsk region is for the AFU to establish itself in favorable defensive positions, Ukrinform reported, BTA reported.
"Our main strategic task for the Armed Forces of Ukraine is the defense of the Donetsk and Luhansk directions, the defense of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions," Biletsky said in a television interview.
According to him, the AFU is not seeking to seize as much territory as possible.
"We are not fighting there simply for tens or hundreds, and sometimes thousands of square kilometers. We are fighting, first of all, "for favorable defensive positions," the commander emphasized. Operation "Vivaldi" is aimed at moving Ukrainian forces to precisely such positions.
On September 15, the commander of the Third Army Corps confirmed reports of a Ukrainian offensive in the northern part of the Donetsk region. So far, the Defense Forces have cleared 75 square kilometers and liberated 10 square kilometers.
Over the next six months, Ukraine and Russia will continue to exchange long-range air strikes, intensifying the war of attrition, retired Royal Canadian Air Force Major General Scott Clancy said in an interview with Ukrinform.
"This is what I think you will see over the next six months: this war of attrition, this strategic holding that is unfolding. How much pain can Ukraine inflict on Russian supply chains, on people and on the economy with its long-range strike capabilities, against the kind of force that "What is Russia doing, especially around Kiev?" Clancy asked.
According to him, this "will continue to expose gaps in Ukrainian air defenses, leading to more successful Russian strikes."
"This means that Ukraine's power grid and energy production will become increasingly compromised," the major general added. According to him, the result is "the stalemate on the ground will continue, but the strategic contest of endurance between the two countries is what will unfold in the near future."
Last night, Russia launched another strike on Kiev, wounding 16 people, including two children, aged 10 and 12.