Ukrainian soldiers are conducting intensive training in the forests, in preparation for a military operation that Kiev is counting on to change the course of the war with Russia.
The soldiers are training in the new attack tactics of the National Guard teams, which include volunteers ranging in age from 22 to 51 years, and although they seem ready to fight when the time comes, they complain that the training was for a few months and on old weapons.
The Associated Press says it followed the training of a brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard, but the date and location of the counterattack is not known.
The front lines of the battles have been almost static for months, while Russian forces control a fifth of the country’s area, while the United States and its allies have strengthened Ukraine’s arsenal with modern weapons, while more ammunition and manpower are still needed.
One of the brigade commanders, known as Grunewald, said, “We are preparing for big actions at the moment. He will not tell us what they are. We will get orders, maybe tomorrow or within a month. We are preparing every day.”
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Soldiers from National Guard brigades spoke to The Associated Press on the condition that they not be located and that they only be referred to by first names.
“The preparations for the advance are coming to an end, as soon as the will of God, the weather and the decision of the leaders. We will do it,” said Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov.
Grunwald explains that the exercises take place in “dense forests”, where drones are launched to accurately detect the enemy’s coordinates, pass them on to the artillery unit, and then attack.
In the exercises, soldiers use traditional compasses to determine places and directions, especially with the possibility of deliberate interference with the GPS system to determine geographical locations.
Russia has spent years developing high-energy jamming systems that emit radio waves to circumvent global GPS systems, but this jamming does not affect the functioning of a normal compass.
Drones attacked the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, on Thursday, subjecting residents to waves of gunfire and explosions, in the fourth attack on the city in as many days.
Officials said at least one aircraft was shot down after anti-aircraft units went into action during the raid.
“During the last air alert, a drone was detected over Kiev before it was shot down by the air defense forces,” Serhiy Popko, head of the Kiev city military administration, said on Telegram.
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The White House announced, on Monday, that US intelligence estimates indicate that the losses of Russian forces in Ukraine since December have amounted to about 20,000 dead and 80,000 wounded.
Reuters witnesses heard repeated gunshots and explosions near the city centre.
Local authorities declared a state of alert in the capital and the surrounding area. Residents who had gone to shelters in anticipation of airstrikes said the drones arrived more quickly than usual after warning the authorities.
A witness said a drone was seen crashing in an area near the Dinamo soccer stadium and the bank of the Dnipro River outside the city centre.
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2023-05-05 02:51:15
