Ukraine: No fast results in offensive against Russia, top general says – BBC News

 

one of Ukraine's most senior military

commanders has admitted its offensive is

not going as fast as he'd like General

Alexander searski who is in charge of

military operations in eastern Ukraine

told the BBC that quick results were

proving to be practically impossible

that's because of well-prepared Russian

defenses but the general said he hopes

Ukraine will be able to recapture the

city of bakmut which Russian forces

seized control of earlier this year our

defense correspondent Jonathan Beale now

reports from Eastern Ukraine

battle for back moot isn't over

the city is now held by the Russians

but we traveled with Ukrainian forces

who are trying to take it back

their Advance is still slow and meeting

resistance again

Alex tells me the situation is tense as

you see he says the enemies firing at

our position

they tried to fire back with their

finished supplied mortar

but even Western weapons can

occasionally malfunction

that was a Russian shell Landing

their positions are just about three

kilometers away from here

last time I was near here two months ago

it was the ukrainians losing ground and

in danger of being surrounded now it's

the other way around

this is the bunker from where Ukraine's

coordinating the offensive embankment

with a constant live feed from dozens of

drones

the commander admits their suffering

losses but not on the same scale as the

Russians

we've taken the initiative the enemy is

bringing in troops and wants to escape

the Trap but they're in trouble bakmut

could be encircled

Ukraine is using all it can to break the

Russian defenses

from the ground

and from the air

but it's still outgunned and having to

spread its limited resources on several

fronts

but it will soon have a new weapon U.S

supplied cluster bombs fired from these

same American howitzers

this gun will you use class diminutions

in this gun yes you will yeah and will

you have any

concerns in the field to

know

on the town

I have forbidden for this accident

because it's not human

Alexander cersky is the general in

charge of all military operations in the

East this is a command vehicle yes yeah

The Mastermind behind the defense of

Kiev and the successful offensive in

haqib unlike many Russian commanders

he's lionized by his troops and now his

eyes are firmly set on retaking bakmut

and you will take it backward

yes of course I try to do it

the offensive has been going on for more

than a month now even president

zielinski has said it is slower

than Ukraine had hoped for

is that true

we would like to get very fast results

but in reality it's practically

impossible this entire area is well

prepared with defenses so all advances

are not going as fast as we would like

so far the advances have only been

modest most of the front remains

relatively static

these Ukrainian trench lines in the east

haven't budged since 2014.

Ukraine has still to commit all its

forces but it's yet to break through

Russia's heavily mined main lines of

Defense

Jonathan Beale BBC News eastern Ukraine