Russia unleashes offensive on Ukraine

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Russian forces unleashed a massive artillery and rocket barrage all along Ukraine’s eastern front Monday night in what Ukrainian officials say is the start of a new offensive stretching from Kharkiv in the north to Mariupol in the south.

As streams of rocket artillery hit Kharkiv and Mykolaiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a video message saying, “Russian forces have started the battle for the Donbas that they have been getting ready for a long time.”

Head of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov added that “an active phase of the Russian offensive set off almost along the entire front line,” signaling what most expect to be a bloody new phase of the seven-week-old war.

The assault comes about two weeks after Russia rapidly repositioned tens of thousands of troops who had been mired in the Kremlin’s failed northern offensives around the capital of Kyiv where they were repeatedly blunted by Ukrainian resistance.

The Biden administration announced a new package including 18 howitzer cannons and 40,000 rounds of ammunition last week, and American trainers will show Ukrainian forces how to use them, a senior defense official told reporters at the Pentagon Monday. The comments mark a reversal from previous U.S. reluctance to announce contacts between U.S. and Ukrainian troops.

Other weapons, including British anti-ship missiles, tanks from Eastern European countries and armored vehicles from as far away as Australia, are being prepped to be rushed to the fight following a recent donors conference held by the British government. A Slovakian official confirmed to POLITICO that Bratislava remains in talks to sell Ukraine up to 16 self-propelled Zuzana 155mm howitzers, which have a range of about 25 miles. The longer range would be a huge boost when facing off against Russian systems that are pounding Ukrainian cities and military positions from afar.

Slovakia recently shipped one of its S-300 air defense systems to Ukraine, followed by U.S., German and Dutch Patriot batteries arriving to backfill the country’s domestic air defenses.

It occurs to me that the Ukrainians should have stepped up counteroffensive engagements ,

It takes a certain amount of resources to wage a counteroffensive, take losses while doing so, and have plenty left for a continuing defense.

But, hey, there is the following,

Russo-Ukrainian war, day 54: Ukrainian counteroffensive in Kharkiv Oblast, all EU ports closed for Russian ships
2022/04/18 - 18:31 • Daily review
Article by: Hans Petter Midttun

https://euromaidanpress.com/2022/04/18/ ... ian-ships/