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Ukrainian soldiers in a tank in eastern Ukraine

Photograph:

Leo Correa / dpa

The Ukrainian Armed Forces say they have decisively breached the first Russian line of defense near Zaporizhzhia after weeks of painstaking demining and expect faster progress if they target the weaker second line. The general, who is leading the counteroffensive in the south, told the Guardian in an exclusive interview.

(Read the SPIEGEL analysis of the latest military developments in Ukraine here).

Brigadier General Oleksandr Tarnavskiy estimated that Russia had invested 60% of its time and resources in building the first line of defense and only 20% each in the second and third lines, because Moscow did not expect Ukrainian forces to get this far. "In the center of the offensive, we are now completing the destruction of the enemy units covering the retreat of Russian troops behind their second line of defense."

A huge minefield held back Ukrainian troops for weeks, while the infantry slowly cleared an attack route on foot. Russian troops "just stood there and waited for the Ukrainian army" by shelling vehicles with grenades and drones, Tarnavskiy told the Guardian.

But now this barrier has been crossed and the Russians are being forced to maneuver while Ukraine is advancing with tanks. According to Tarnavskiy, a sign that Moscow is feeling the pressure is the deployment of troops from sectors of the front line within occupied Ukraine – Kherson in the west and Lyman in the northeast – and also from inside Russia. "The enemy is withdrawing reserves, not only from Ukraine, but also from Russia. But sooner or later, the Russians will run out of the best soldiers. This will give us an impetus to attack more and faster. Everything is ahead of us."

Tedious mine clearance at night

Tarnavskiy has already had some success in the fight against Russian troops since they crossed the Ukrainian border in 2022. Last September, he was appointed commander of the troops fighting for the liberation of Kherson; two months later, the city was liberated.

It was hoped that similarly rapid progress would be made in the counteroffensive in the summer. But for months, progress was slow, casualties mounted, the front lines remained immobile, causing discontent and criticism in Western capitals that had provided weapons and training.

Tarnavskiy dismissed this criticism in an interview with the Guardian with a shrug of the shoulders and said he prefers to judge a task only when it is completed. He thanked the allies for their support in the form of training and weapons. "When we started the counteroffensive, we spent more time than expected demining the areas," he admitted. "Unfortunately, the evacuation of the wounded was difficult for us. That, too, made our advance more difficult."

But the Ukrainian armed forces had broken through the first line of defense, contrary to what Russia expected. "In my opinion, the Russians believed that the Ukrainians would not overcome this line of defense. They had been preparing for over a year. They did everything they could to make sure that this area was well prepared," Tarnavskiy said.

The general reports that the Russian troops have entrenched themselves beyond the minefield in concrete shelters behind anti-tank barriers. But the Ukrainians have advanced further. Infantry forces had set out during the night to painstakingly clear a corridor through the mines, moving forward meter by meter in the dark.

Now that the minefield has been breached, the Russians have lost much of their advantage. "There is a big difference between the first and second lines of defense," Tarnavskiy said.

According to him, the second line is not so well developed, so the Ukrainians can use their vehicles, although there are still minefields.

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