Ukraine has the chance to 'drive out the Russians', says British military analyst

2022-09-13T17:50:50.940Z

Ukraine's military has a chance to drive Russian troops out of all the territory it has claimed to have taken since February, a senior military analyst has told Sky News. Professor Michael Clarke said such a development would be a "huge victory" - adding that...

Ukraine's military has a chance to drive Russian troops out of all the territory it has claimed to have taken since February, a senior military analyst has told Sky News.

Professor Michael Clarke said such a development would be a "huge victory" - adding that while recent gains in Kharkiv are important, retaking Kherson in the south would be "very significant".

Kherson is located in the north of the Crimean peninsula and is the only major Ukrainian city that Moscow has captured.

If Ukraine were to take it, all of Crimea - which Russia annexed in 2014 - would be within range of Kiev's artillery and missiles, Clarke estimates, according to the Telegraph.

This could make Crimea "impossible for the Russians to operate militarily," he added.

Otherwise, there are signs that the Russian defense in Kherson is beginning to "crumble" and the troops may be out of ammunition.

"The Ukrainians have gained momentum on their side and in the battle, the moment is of great importance."

“… The Russians seem to be short of food and everything.

Once they run out of ammunition, they have no choice but to surrender or run."

"And they can't go on because they can't cross the Dnipro river."

He added: “The Russians are clearly under pressure... But the troops the Russians have in Kherson are better quality troops overall.

So if they 'crush', in that area, that would be very significant."

According to the Sky News article, the Telegraph reports, Professor Clarke explained that Kherson "controls the entrance to Crimea" and "controls part of the hydropower that goes to Crimea".

He continued: "If the Ukrainians are able to seize the entire coast of the Kherson region, then the whole of Crimea is within the range of their artillery and missiles."

In the last part of the article it is said that Clarke foresees next year an "unsustainable ceasefire, which may now be on more favorable terms than the Ukrainians could have thought even a week ago".

He commented: "I think the Ukrainians may have a chance, on the other side of winter, to 'throw' the Russians out of all the territories they have taken since February of this year."

"And that would be a great victory."

Telegraph

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Ukraine has the chance to 'drive out the Russians', says British military analyst