https://sputnikglobe.com/20230621/scott-ritter-ukraines-counter-offensive-loses-momentum-as-logistics-falters-1111363622.html
Scott Ritter: Ukraine's Counteroffensive Loses Momentum as Logistics Falters
Scott Ritter: Ukraine's Counteroffensive Loses Momentum as Logistics Falters
Sputnik International
The Ukrainian counteroffensive against Russia has been largely futile due to a mismatch between political objectives and military capabilities to achieve them, leading to a political endgame favoring Russia.
2023-06-21T16:50+0000
2023-06-21T16:50+0000
2023-06-21T16:51+0000
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high mobility artillery rocket system (himars)
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With Ukraine's current military condition desperate and dire, the political leadership in Kiev may be planning to target Crimea with Western-supplied HIMARS and Storm Shadow missiles, Sergey Shoigu, Russia's defense minister, said. Speaking at the Russian Defense Ministry Board Session, he warned, the "[d]eployment of these particular missiles outside the special military operation zone will be regarded as direct involvement of the US and UK in the conflict and will result in immediate retaliatory strikes on decision-making centers in Ukraine's territory."Scott Ritter believes that the rationale for Ukraine's move is to provoke an intervention by the West, stressing, however, "they've lost this war."Despite a seemingly impressive army on paper, Ritter explained to Sputnik that the Ukrainian forces cannot penetrate Russia's fortified defenses, which he describes as "one of the most heavily fortified defensive positions in the history of modern warfare." As the Ukrainian Armed Forces falter and stand at the precipice of collapse in their counter-offensive, Ritter’s view of the Russian military stands in stark contrast, as he believes they have managed to quietly amass a significant force, maintaining a notable numerical advantage and demonstrate strategic prudence in their operations.Ritter underlined the chaotic and disorganized nature of Ukraine's defense logistics system, asserting that large quantities of military aid are being mismanaged or lost in transit. Furthermore, he pointed out that Ukraine has a notorious reputation for corruption, which may exacerbate the issue. According to him, accountability for this military aid is being overlooked mainly by the West due to the intensity of the ongoing conflict. A recent US media report says Ukrainian government documents show that over $800 million have been spent by Ukraine since 2022 on partially or completely unfulfilled arms supply contracts.For more in-depth analysis on the issue, check our Fault Lines broadcast.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230617/scott-ritter-ukrainian-counteroffensives-second-week-ends-in-failure-1111243899.html
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ukrainian counteroffensive, scott ritter, russia, russia-ukraine conflict, crimea, himars, storm shadow, missiles, armed force of ukraine, usa, uk, russian federation, retaliatory strikes, ukrainian forces, russia fortified defenses, ukrainian defense logistics, conflict
ukrainian counteroffensive, scott ritter, russia, russia-ukraine conflict, crimea, himars, storm shadow, missiles, armed force of ukraine, usa, uk, russian federation, retaliatory strikes, ukrainian forces, russia fortified defenses, ukrainian defense logistics, conflict
Scott Ritter: Ukraine's Counteroffensive Loses Momentum as Logistics Falters
16:50 GMT 21.06.2023 (Updated: 16:51 GMT 21.06.2023) The Ukrainian counter-offensive against Russia has been largely futile due to a mismatch between political objectives and military capabilities to achieve them, leading to a political endgame favoring Russia, Scott Ritter, an ex-intel officer and former UN weapons inspector, told Sputnik.
With Ukraine's current military condition desperate and dire, the political leadership in Kiev may be planning to target Crimea with Western-supplied HIMARS and Storm Shadow missiles, Sergey Shoigu, Russia's defense minister, said. Speaking at the
Russian Defense Ministry Board Session, he warned, the "[d]eployment of these particular missiles outside the special military operation zone will be regarded as direct involvement of the US and UK in the conflict and will result in immediate retaliatory strikes on decision-making centers in Ukraine's territory."
Scott Ritter believes that the rationale for Ukraine's move is to provoke an intervention by the West, stressing, however, "they've lost this war."
Despite a seemingly impressive army on paper, Ritter
explained to
Sputnik that the Ukrainian forces cannot penetrate Russia's fortified defenses, which he describes as
"one of the most heavily fortified defensive positions in the history of modern warfare." As the Ukrainian Armed Forces falter and stand at the precipice of collapse in their counter-offensive, Ritter’s view of the Russian military stands in stark contrast, as he believes they have managed to quietly amass a significant force, maintaining a notable numerical advantage and demonstrate strategic prudence in their operations.
Ritter underlined the chaotic and disorganized nature of Ukraine's defense logistics system, asserting that large quantities of military aid are being mismanaged or lost in transit. Furthermore, he pointed out that Ukraine has a notorious reputation for corruption, which may exacerbate the issue. According to him, accountability for this military aid is being overlooked mainly by the West due to the intensity of the ongoing conflict. A
recent US media report says Ukrainian government documents show that over $800 million have been spent by Ukraine since 2022 on partially or completely unfulfilled arms supply contracts.
"That's the Ukrainian defense logistics system right now. Totally haphazard, totally chaotic. And if I were, you know, an inspector general going at it, I'd have to be honest and say, guys, we're not going to be too strict on the accounting right now because this is war."
For more in-depth analysis on the issue, check our Fault Lines broadcast. 
