Korrespondent.net helpfully adds to the confusion.
APU is preparing a counteroffensive.
No more than five people on the planet have information about how, where and when the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will begin.
The whole world is waiting for a big counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Russia leaks fake plans to the Internet, and the Ukrainian authorities say that no more than 5 people on the planet know about the real plans. However, this does not prevent experts from speculating about the counteroffensive and analyzing information coming from open sources.
An obvious sign of the preparation of a counterattack is attacks on logistics centers and warehouses in the depths of the occupiers' defense. In recent days, it is impossible not to notice a multiple increase in such strikes in the area of the temporarily occupied Melitopol, Zaporozhye region. Melitopol is called the gate to the Crimea, and it is the South of the Zaporozhye region that has always been considered the main direction for the Ukrainian counterattack.
The south looks like the bigger prize, CNN notes: it's an opportunity to cut a Russian land corridor into occupied Crimea, a successful strike would render the defense of those parts of Kherson region still held by the Russian Federation untenable. It could also pave the way for regaining control of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant and the canal that supplies Crimea with fresh water, according to CNN.
However, Ekaterina Stepanenko of the Institute for the Study of War in Washington notes that it would be a mistake to focus on just one area. An offensive in the east and south can be mutually supportive, which will create additional problems for the Russians.
A counterattack by well-trained forces in the Bakhmut area could signal the start of offensive operations, American experts believe.
TIMING
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken believes that a counteroffensive by the Ukrainian armed forces is likely to begin in the coming weeks. Ukraine is preparing several new brigades, each of which will consist of several thousand soldiers.
“Ukrainian sources have already reported that they are forming or have already formed six to nine new brigades for the counteroffensive,” Stepanenko claims.
Russia, of course, is well aware that Ukraine is planning offensive operations. She has used the last few months to prepare several levels of defense, especially in the south.
THE SITUATION IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Russia's fall mobilization hasn't had much of an impact on the battlefield, and reports of divisions and mismanagement within Russia's armed forces suggest Russia's potential is running out, CNN notes.
The Kremlin has problems with the formation of a "prepared military force", but fears the launch of a new wave of mobilization in Russia, the newspaper writes, citing Western officials.
According to CNN's interlocutors, Russia has problems with the formation of a "prepared military force." The aggressor is not making efforts to launch the second wave of mobilization and is having difficulty preparing people.