Putin ordered Shoigu to stop the counter-offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine until the beginning of October, – ISW

Putin ordered Shoigu to stop the counterattack of the Armed Forces of Ukraine/Collage 24 Channel

Vladimir Putin ordered the head of the Russian Ministry of Defense to stop the offensive of the Ukrainian Armed Forces until October 2023. To do this, the Kremlin may resort to constant counterattacks “even if it means suffering heavy losses.”

Analysts at the American Institute for the Study of War present this information, citing an insider source in the Kremlin. According to the source, Russia may take such actions to force the Ukrainian counter-offensive to reach a climax.

What is known about Putin's order to Shoigu

An insider source in the Kremlin claims that Putin allegedly gave Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu a period of one month until early October 2023 to improve the situation at the front, stop Ukrainian counter-offensives and return the initiative to Russian troops. – said ISW.

According to them, the insider's statement may indicate that the Russian military command is likely to order continuous counterattacks. With such actions, the Russians hope to bring the Ukrainian counter-offensive to its climax, even at the cost of heavy losses for Russian military potential.

In addition, ISW noted that they had already recorded situations where the Russian Ministry of Defense, fearing the loss of Putin’s favor, removed commanders who negatively assessed the war. In addition, Russia launched an unsuccessful attack on Ugledar in February 2023 only to explode the domestic Russian information effect from the successes of the Wagnerites in Bakhmut.

Putin wants to undermine confidence in Ukrainian Armed Forces in Ukraine and the West

Analysts recall that Vladimir Putin first recognized the start of the Ukrainian counter-offensive on June 9, noting the Kremlin’s keys that:

• Ukrainian forces allegedly will not achieve significant successes due to the well-prepared Russian defense;
• Ukrainian troops suffer heavy losses of personnel and Western military equipment.

Putin and the Kremlin present Russian defense operations as a great victory on the battlefield, and constant Russian counterattacks allow the Kremlin to claim that these operations are isolated victories against the backdrop of a general lack of Russian successes on other sectors of the front. – said ISW.

By the way, analysts believe that Russia is taking such actions to undermine support and trust in Ukrainian forces in Ukraine and the West.

“Putin may have ordered the Russian military command to hold all initial defense positions in order to create the illusion that “that the Ukrainian counter-offensives did not achieve a single tactical or operational effect, despite significant Western support,” ISW notes.

However, analysts explained that this information campaign can only succeed in the long term if Russian troops can actually prevent Ukrainian forces from breaking through and liberating vast territories.

Latest news about the counter-offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: briefly

• ISW analysts in a report dated September 24 explained that our military can make a significant breakthrough in the South under 3 key conditions. We are talking about the lack of reserves or combat power of the Russians in the west of Zaporozhye, sufficient combat power of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russian defensive positions are not as heavily mined or well prepared as the fortifications that penetrated the Ukrainian forces.
• Commander of the operational-strategic group of forces ” Tavria” of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, Alexander Tarnavsky said on September 22 that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have a breakthrough on the left flank near Verbov and continue to advance further.
• In addition, Alexander Tarnavsky assured that the offensive actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces will intensify when our the military will be able to rescue Tokmak.