Ukrainian soldiers describe the 'steel wall' of Russia during the counterattack.

Ukrainian soldiers describe Russia's long-range defenses as a "steel wall," making it impossible for armored convoys to penetrate.

The offensive began on June 8 with about 100 soldiers, two Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks, and several M2A2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles of US origin, a Ukrainian soldier involved in the battle told the WSJ . Their plan was to coordinate with two other assault forces to advance on the Russian-controlled town of Tokmak in the southern Zaporizhzhia province.

As soon as the Ukrainian regiment crossed the road on the outskirts of the town of Mala Tokmak, Russian BM-21 Grad rocket artillery began a fierce bombardment of their formation, while the entire surrounding field was mined. Russian helicopters and fighter jets also continuously circled the nearby area.

"Our formation couldn't advance more than 3 kilometers before a Leopard tank was hit and disabled. The enemy was waiting in fortified positions. That defensive line was like a steel wall. It was terrifying," the 28-year-old Ukrainian soldier recalled.

Ukrainian soldiers fight in the Kreminna area of ​​Lugansk province on June 9. Photo: AP

The Russian army spent months building a multi-layered defensive line in the Zaporizhzhia province, aiming to prevent Ukrainian forces from cutting off the land corridor connecting the Donbass region to the Crimean Peninsula. The open terrain in Zaporizhzhia also makes Ukrainian armored units vulnerable to detection and ambushes with various types of firepower before they even reach the Russian lines.

Ukrainian officials did not elaborate much on the progress of the counteroffensive, but affirmed that the operation would take a long time and casualties were unavoidable.

Prior to the counteroffensive, Western countries had provided Ukraine with billions of dollars worth of weapons and trained tens of thousands of soldiers. Kyiv needed to demonstrate to its partners that these efforts could translate into significant advances on the battlefield.

Western military analysts believe the main counteroffensive has yet to begin, as the majority of modern weapons supplied by the US and its allies are still absent from the battlefields.

Several Ukrainian units on the eastern edge of Zaporizhzhia province claim they are gaining the upper hand. A mine-clearing vehicle commander nicknamed Finn said that Ukrainian marines are capturing small areas near the village of Velyka Novosilka in Donetsk province, which is boosting their morale.

"We're bound to suffer casualties, but we're always looking for ways to inflict more losses on the enemy," Finn said, adding that the humid conditions in the area pose significant challenges to Western-supplied equipment.

After two weeks of relentless rain, the American-made MaxxPro mine-resistant armored vehicles sometimes got bogged down in soft ground due to their low ground clearance. "They're designed for urban and desert warfare. We often struggle with them when operating them," Finn said.

The "steel fist" brigades that Ukraine built and equipped to NATO standards also faced difficulties because some officers were not adequately trained and lacked practical combat experience. "They often lose their bearings in tense situations," Finn admitted.

The moment Ukraine lost a series of modern armored vehicles.

A convoy of Ukrainian armored vehicles was attacked by Russia on June 8th. Video : Telegram/Voin_Dv

The 28-year-old soldier fighting on the Tokmak front had been warned by his commander that this counteroffensive would be vastly different from what happened in Kherson and Kharkov in September 2022. He was assigned to operate the machine gun on a Humvee armored vehicle, but had to spend most of the night in cover, while Leopard tanks engaged in artillery fire with Russian tanks.

"We knew things would be difficult. But everyone's spirits remained high, even knowing the Leopard tanks had been taken out of action," he said.

"The Ukrainian armed forces are trying to do something no European army is capable of at this time, which is to maintain large-scale combined arms operations against a peer opponent in a high-intensity war between the two countries," said Franz-Stefan Gady, a defense analyst in the UK.

Gady argues that the US is currently the only Western nation capable of conducting a sophisticated attack like the one targeting Ukraine, but emphasizes that Kyiv lacks the airspace control that Washington possesses.

"Russian forces are making extensive use of helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to attack Ukrainian armored formations, as well as to pinpoint targets for artillery. They operate freely because Ukraine's frontline air defense capabilities are very limited," Gady said.

Phillips O'Brien, a professor of strategic studies at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, says Ukraine is at a major disadvantage because it lacks control of the airspace. "For decades, no military has attempted to attack a fortified position without first gaining air superiority. Many people forget how difficult the situation Ukraine is in," he said.

Vu Anh (According to WSJ )

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