NYT: Melitopol was the basis of a counter -offensive but Syrsky wanted to repel Bakhmut

The plan of counter -offensive for Melitopol was key to Ukraine, but General Alexander Sirsky insisted on the return of Bakhmut, which changed the strategy and led to failure in both directions.

Source: article The New York Times

Details: According to the newspaper, Valery Zaluzhny and the British chief supported the option that the counter -offensive should be directed to Melitopol, as this maneuver would block the land routes of supply of Russian forces in Crimea, although it was ambitious.

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In the end, they agreed to a two -stage attack to confuse Russian commanders, who, according to American intelligence, believed that Ukrainians would have enough strength and equipment for only one offensive.

The publication tells how at the Zaluzhuzhni rate he decided that General Alexander Tarnavsky will receive 12 brigades and most of the ammunition for the main strike – on Melitopol. Lieutenant General Yuri Sodol will be an offensive on Mariupol, Syrsky will lead an auxiliary blow in the east around Bakhmut.

Literally: « Then the word took Syrsky. According to Ukrainian officials, the General stated that he wanted to move away from the plan and hold a full -scale offensive to knock the Russians out of Bakhmut. Then he would move east to the Luhansk region. Of course, he would need additional people and ammunition.

The Americans were not informed of the results of the meeting. But then the US intelligence noticed that Ukrainian troops and ammunition « moving in directions that did not correspond to the agreed plan. »

Soon, at an urgently convened meeting on the Polish border, Zaluzhny confessed to the Americans that the Ukrainians decided to step in three directions at the same time. « 

Details: According to Ukrainian officials, it happened: after the rate meeting, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ordered exactly to divide the coalition ammunition between Syrsky and Tarnavsky. Syrsky will also receive five of the newly -studied brigades, leaving seven for battle for Melitopol.

The leader of the offensive on Mariupol, General Sodol, eagerly listened to the advice of Lieutenant-Lieutenant Antonio Agutu, who helped Ukrainians with a counter-offensive. This cooperation has brought one of the greatest success of the counter -offensive: after American intelligence has found a weak place in Russian lines, Sodol’s forces conquered more than 20 square kilometers of the territory.

For Ukrainians, this victory asked the question: is the fight for Mariupol more promising than the offensive on Melitopol? But the attack stopped due to lack of people.

The problem was obvious on the map of hostilities in General Aguta’s office: Syrsky’s offensive on Bakhmut was exhausted by the Ukrainian army, the material said.

Aguta called on Syrsky to send brigades and ammunition to the south for attack on Melitopol. But Sirsky did not concede, according to American and Ukrainian officials. He also did not change the position when Eugene Prigogine, whose « Wagner » helped the Russians capture Bakhmut, rebelled against Putin and sent his strength to Moscow.

US intelligence has evaluated that the uprising could undermine the moral spirit and cohesion of the Russians; The interception showed that the Russian commanders were surprised why Ukrainians did not press strongerly on the poorly protected Melitopol, the American scout said.

But Sirsky believed that the uprising confirms his strategy to sow a split, destroying the Russians in Bakhmut. To send some of the forces to the south will only blow it up. « I was right, agut. You were wrong, » the American official of Syrsky recalls, who added, « We will reach Lugansk. »

Literally: « Although the calculations differ, there is no doubt that the losses of Russians – tens of thousands – were much higher than Ukrainian. However, Syrsky never won Bakhmut, he did not move to Lugansk.

Melitopol remained. « 

Details: The main advantage was the speed – reducing the time from detecting the goal to the Ukrainian blow. But this advantage, and with it the attack on Melitopol, was undermined by a fundamental change in the plan. Tarnavsky had much less ammunition than he planned; Instead of simply shooting, he has now used drones to confirm intelligence. « 

This template, also fueled with caution and confidence deficit, has reached the climax, when after a week of slow progress through the landscape of mine fields and helicopter fire, the Ukrainian forces were approaching the occupied village of Robine.

American officials told about the next battle. Ukrainians fired at the Russians with artillery; American intelligence indicated that they retreat.

« Take the position now, » said Aguta Tarnavsky. But Ukrainians noticed a group of Russians on top of the hill.

The satellite images of the Americans showed something similar to a Russian platoon, from 20 to 50 soldiers, which did not consider Agutus an obstacle to a counter -offensive. However, Tarnavsky did not move until the threat was eliminated. The partners sent him the coordinates of the Russians and advised him to open fire at the same time. Instead, to check the intelligence, Tarnavsky sent reconnaissance drones above the hill.

Literally: « It took time. Only then he ordered his people to shoot.

And after the impact, he sent the drones again to make sure the hill was really clean. He then ordered the forces to enter the robot they captured on August 28.

These delays cost from 24 to 48 hours, according to officers. And during this time south of the robots, the Russians began to build new barriers, lay mines and send reinforcements to stop the promotion of Ukrainians. « 

Details: General Aguto shouted at General Tarnavsky: « Press forward. » But the Ukrainians had to throw troops from the front to the rear, and with only seven crews they could not quickly introduce new forces to continue the offensive.

The Ukrainian promotion, in fact, slowed through a number of factors. But frustrated Americans were constantly talking about a platoon on a hill. « The damn platoon stopped the counter -offensive, » one officer said.

The Ukrainians did not reach Melitopol. They had to reduce their ambitions.

Now their goal was the small occupied city of Tokmak, about halfway to Melitopol, near important railway and highways.

General Aguta gave more autonomy to Ukrainians. But now he developed a detailed artillery plan, the operation of « Thunder », which determined that Ukrainians should shoot, which and in what order, according to American and Ukrainian officials. However, General Tarnavsky objected to some purposes, insisted on the use of drones to check important points, and the « roar of thunder » stopped.

In despair, the White House has sanctioned the secret transportation of a small number of cassette warheads with a range of about 100 miles, and Generals Agutu and Zabrodsky developed an operation against Russian shock helicopters that threatened the forces of Tarnavsky. At least 10 helicopters have been destroyed, and the Russians took all their aviation to the Crimea or the mainland. But Ukrainians could not move.

Literally: « The last recommendation of Americans was to entrust the General Syrsky to lead the battle for Tokmak. It was rejected. Then they suggested that General Sodol send their murfs to the robot to break through the Russian line. But instead, General Zaluzhny ordered the Marines to go to Kherson to open a new front. Crimea.

Marines crossed the river in early November, but they ended people and ammunition. Instead, it ended in shameful. « 

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