PRESIDENT, Vladimir Zelensky, made a surprising announcement recently. He replaced country’s defence minister. This change in the Ukrainian defence leadership came along with other changes in the U.S., including the appointment of a new Secretary of Defence. All of these moves suggest that there is recognition that Ukraine’s current strategy in the war is not working and that a new approach is needed. President Zelensky seems to have taken this advice seriously. Now, let’s talk about Ukraine’s strategy in this war. In the early stages of the conflict, Ukraine adopted a clever strategy. Instead of trying to block the Russian army’s advance with one big, centralized force, Ukraine divided its military into smaller units. Each of these units was given a lot of independence to make decisions on the ground.
The idea was to focus on the small-scale tactics of the war rather than trying to create one large, unified force. This strategy actually frustrated the initial Russian attack. By deploying massive troops and gradually wearing them down with smaller Ukrainian units, Russia couldn’t defeat the Ukrainian military as quickly as it had planned. The Ukrainian soldiers knew the terrain they were fighting in very well, which allowed them to find and engage Russian forces and then disappear quickly. The hope was that Russia would get frustrated and rethink its campaign. But that didn’t happen. Instead, the Russian army spent a year trying to capture cities rather than destroying the Ukrainian army. This played into Russia’s strengths with its massive forces and heavy artillery.In theory, it was also supposed to break Ukrainian morale, but that didn’t work as expected. Now, things have changed. The Russian General Staff, the people who plan Russia’s military operations, has taken control. They are returning to their old strategy, concentrating their forces to force the Ukrainian military to fight and, theoretically, lose. They’ve learned from Ukraine’s tactics and believe they have a better chance of winning now. The American military leaders, on the other hand, see things differently. They think it’s time for Ukraine to change its strategy.
The Ukrainian army has become more experienced and well-armed, and they believe it’s time to concentrate their forces into one or two powerful offensives. With access to artillery, drones, superior intelligence, and combat-ready forces, they believe this is the moment to push back against the Russian offensive, close any gaps in their defences, and disrupt Russian logistics (which means their supply lines). They’re advocating for a new approach. This change in strategy might seem a bit desperate, but it’s essential to remember that Ukraine is fighting on its home turf, defending its homeland. This could give them an advantage, even though both sides are tired.
It’s a bit like the Vietnam War, where there was an effort to train the Vietnamese to fight more like Americans, with a focus on coordination and mobility. But the Ukrainians are more eager to fight for their homeland than the Vietnamese were. As for the meeting between the American and Ukrainian military leaders on the border, it’s hard to know exactly how it went. But it’s safe to assume that they didn’t need to be told how to behave. They likely discussed the ground situation and the need for a change in approach to the conflict. And it’s probable that the new Ukrainian defence minister will follow through with this new strategy.
—The writer, a PhD scholar is
associated with Islamia University Bahawalpur.
Email: [email protected]
