Who decides when to end the war in Ukraine
We are breaking all the patterns that the Soviet and Western armies used to fight.
Offensive operations are taking place in several locations in the south, and there are attempts to break through the numerous Russian defense lines. Roughly speaking, there is a multi-layered defense system there. It is many kilometers deep into the Russian fortifications. In some areas, we are having success. But it's difficult to measure this success in terms of time to push our military forward because it's challenging to move. On the eve of the counteroffensive, I talked to several commanders of our brigade-level units. And they were aware of all the risks of such an attempted offensive, aware that our counteroffensive would take place, let's say, in several favorable areas.
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That is, not along the entire front line, but in certain areas. And indeed, they realized that it would take a lot of work to pass these fortifications. Even 100 meters, 200 meters, or 300 meters in these areas would be a success. None of the military doctrines of our allies who provide us with weapons describe the conditions we counterattack under. According to the military doctrines of our allies, this is not possible at all. They would never launch a counteroffensive in such conditions when there is insufficient air cover.
There is no air superiority when there is not even an air component. They would not attack. We are doing this. We are breaking all the patterns the Soviet and Western armies used to fight according to. And so, we have to realize how difficult it is. This is the first point.
The second point: Recently, many people have joined the Armed Forces who had no military experience and whose psyche, let's say, cannot prepare so quickly, adjust to the conditions of super-intense war, super-heavy artillery shelling.
So often, people are not psychologically prepared for challenges.
Do you understand? This psychological factor should be considered by commanders who form their combat units. Roughly speaking, you need to dilute people without experience with people with experience.
The West does not decide on the issue of ending the war. It is up to Ukrainians to decide. That is, as long as we have the strength to resist and return our land, this war will continue until victory. Given Russia's intentions, there should be no such options here, given that if this conflict is frozen through the winter, literally or just figuratively, we understand that Russia will use this pause to accumulate its forces. And again, it will launch offensive actions and try to dismantle Ukraine. We know this, Russia knows this, the West knows this.
I have just returned from the US military base Grafenwoehr in Northern Bavaria, where Ukrainian tankers train with M1A1 Abrams tanks. We asked the leaders of the exercises if it was confirmed that these tanks would be in Ukraine only in September. And we received an optimistic answer that the tanks would be here much sooner. This is a quote.
I will share the information that the management of the Grafenwoehr base shared with us. This is open information. We will receive, at least for now, 31 Abrams M1A1s. This is, let's say, one tank battalion. But when we talk about Abrams, it doesn't mean just tanks. Abrams is such an interesting, powerful machine, but it is quite challenging to maintain and support. So, we will get the whole complex, a turnkey battalion. In addition to the Abrams, we are also getting M88 combat repair and recovery vehicles, which can help to carry out certain maintenance even in the field.
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Importantly, we will also receive a set of mine trawls for Abrams. That is, Abrams will be ready to break through minefields. We will also receive so-called "assault breakthrough vehicles" along with Abrams. This is a very powerful tool. With a large plow in front, which tears up not only mines but also serious enemy fortifications, their line of defense before infantry units, motorized units, or even tanks must break through this line. Plus, logistics. Abrams consumes anywhere from four to eight liters of fuel per kilometer.
It's not just any fuel. It is a special fuel for gas turbine engines. It has to be delivered to the front line. We need to set up a system that will work like clockwork in the conditions of our war. This is the most essential part of this tank battalion that we will receive. Among the Ukrainian soldiers currently undergoing training on Abrams, about 80% are technicians, logisticians, and mechanics.
That is, the people who support combat operations, which, roughly speaking, are not the crews of these Abrams but on whom the success and survival of the crew depends. This is a very positive moment. It is an entirely different concept, first of all. But there are nuances. For example, I spoke with the US soldiers training our tankers. And this is all great, but 31 tanks are not enough for success. For example, let's look at how many Abrams the Egyptian army has. They have more than a thousand Abrams. And this is clearly not enough. But the military says it's a political issue; it's above their pay grade. That's why I hope that with the successful use of this tank battalion, which is obviously being made for some kind of offensive, judging by the nomenclature of the equipment I just listed, there will be some change in the way we look at our war, another change in the way we look at it. And we will get more than just tanks.
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Our military enjoys incredible respect there. That is all the American military at the Grafenwoehr base and those who work with our military, to put it simply, take their hats off to the dedication and professionalism of our military. And they realize that they themselves, as the owners of these tanks, have never been in the kind of war that our tankers are and will be in on American tanks.
An article by The New York Times says that at the beginning of our offensive, 20% of our equipment could have been lost. We lost a lot. That figure could correspond to 20% of the equipment that was put in place for the counter-offensive. It may be true. But it coincides with the preliminary estimates of our allies before the counteroffensive. This is, first of all. Secondly, the loss of equipment does not mean the loss of personnel. This equipment is designed to save the lives of soldiers. Look at the videos of Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, tanks, etc. That is, people remain alive. This is the concept of Western countries, of the Western military school.
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These are not just ordinary people. These are trained people who already have combat experience, who will receive a new Bradley vehicle and go into battle again, being convinced that they will, again, stay alive in the conditions in which they have to fight. Therefore, the West is also really evaluating this information now. With my eyes, I have seen new Bradley vehicles ready to be shipped to Ukraine and new sets of repair and evacuation vehicles that will be sent to Ukraine. So, the supply will not be stopped.
Even though the West has not yet decided what to do with Russia and what victory should look like, the West understands that, let's say, Ukraine's loss in the war is a collective loss for the West and a loss for the United States. If Ukraine loses, the United States risks losing its global leadership. Therefore, in any case, the United States, and thus the entire Western world, will be with us until the end, until victory.
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