The counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine gave rise to hopes and forecasts among European politicians that at such a rate Ukraine could win by the end of this year.

The Times writes about this in its material.

Journalists refer to the words of a British high-ranking official who suggests that "the Armed Forces will push the invaders back to the borders on February 23 before Christmas."

But he noted that this will happen if the counteroffensive continues at the same pace.

The Times explains that the opinion of Western politicians is not based on intelligence data, but on the achievements of the Armed Forces during counteroffensive operations.

The former commander of US forces in Europe, Ben Hodges, shares the same opinion.

"Based on everything we see, there is a sense of collapse, at least in Donbas, and I believe that by the end of the year, the Russians will be pushed beyond the line on February 23. This is an army that has been defeated," the military officer believes.

Hodges added that the turning point could be the liberation of Kherson by Ukrainian troops, after which the Armed Forces of Ukraine would approach Crimea and be able to hit targets with artillery provided by the West.

"If they do that, frankly speaking, the occupiers in Crimea are falling into a trap," Hodges added.

Political scientist Mattia Nelles has a different opinion about the development of events.

He does not believe in the end of the war by the end of the year due to the large concentration of Russian troops in Kherson.

Franz-Stefan Gadi, an employee of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, emphasizes that neither side has exhausted its military capabilities and is working to create more advantageous tactical and strategic positions to continue hostilities in 2023.

"The temperature will hit on the battlefield, it will become more difficult for soldiers to act and their ability to conduct offensive operations will be limited," the expert believes.

Counteroffensive of the Armed Forces in the south

According to official information, as of October 7, the Armed Forces managed to liberate more than 2,400 square kilometers of the territory of Ukraine in the south.

The General Staff added that they had already de-occupied about 60 settlements, among them: 6 settlements - in the Kherson district and 61 - in the Beryslav district.

The General Staff declares that the Russians will continue to suffer significant losses in the south of Ukraine.

Read also:

  • Deoccupation of Luhansk region: Gaidai explained the importance of Kreminnaya for the counteroffensive

  • Counteroffensive of the Armed Forces: the expert told how the occupiers are fleeing from Luhansk region

  • The Armed Forces of Ukraine freed Grekivka in Luhansk region: Gaidai described the situation in the region