Ukraine is preparing to turn the tide of the war says brigadier general

Ukraine is preparing to turn the tide of the war while the country continues to hold Russia’s offensives at bay according to Brigadier General Mykhailo Drapaty.

Drapaty is the Commander of the Kherson Operational Group and he took to Telegram on March 7th to provide his assessment of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Screenshot by Youtube @ctrsTVua

“Mykolaiv is an outpost of southern Ukraine, which the invaders tried unsuccessfully to storm,” Drapaty wrote in his Telegram post. 

“At the beginning of March 2022, local volunteers and the military gave a decent rebuff to the invaders,” the Ukranian brigadier general continued. 

“The successful defense of Mykolaiv was possible thanks to clear communication with communities and villages, whose inhabitants promptly informed the military about the movement of enemy equipment,” Drapaty added. 

The Commander of the Kherson Operational Group went on to write about how all along the southern frontlines Russian forces had been—or were being—rebuffed and defeated by Ukriane’s newly created territorial defense forces and partisan movements.

The military reserve formations and non-regular partisans played essential roles in the protection and security of Mykolaiv Oblast, Odesa Oblast, Kirovohrad Oblast, and Dnipropetrovsk Oblast according to Drapaty, and set the stage for what would come next. 

“Today, with the arrival of foreign aid and weapons, our country not only continues to hold back the Russian offensive, but is also preparing to turn the tide of the war,” Drapaty wrote before going on to say that securing Kherson was the key to Ukraine’s victory. 

"After the Armed Forces of Ukraine gain a strategic advantage in the Kherson region, the Ukrainian army will create the prerequisites for a general victory,” Drapaty added. 

While these may just be the overzealous words of a Ukranian brigadier general—we should always put such statements in their proper context—there may be some evidence pointing to a Ukranian counter-attack that could turn the tide of the war. 

Mason Clark is a Senior Analyst with the Institute for the Study of War and recently wrote an article for Time Magazine detailing how Ukraine could defeat Vladimir Putin. 

“Ukraine has defeated Russia’s initial invasion, conducted several successful counteroffensives, and inflicted devastating losses on the Russian military,” Clark wrote, but he added that this doesn’t mean we can say Ukraine will win.

“We cannot yet assume a Ukrainian victory, however, and do not know how this war will end,” Clark added.  

According to Clark, in order for Ukraine to turn the tide in the war, and have a chance at beating the Russians, it needs more weapons and equipment from the West.

“A satisfactory end to the war—a lasting conclusion that will secure Ukrainian territory and sovereignty and harden Ukraine against future Russian aggression—is achievable with sustained and substantial Western support,” Clark wrote. 

Retired Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, the former Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe has a less nuanced view of Ukraine’s ability to turn the tide in the war.

“For Ukraine, the road to victory runs through Crimea,” the retired lieutenant general wrote in an article for The Center for Europan Policy Analysis  It is the key. It is the decisive terrain. Liberating Crimea, this year will change everything in this war.”

So turning the tide of the war is entirely possible for the Ukranians, whether or not they can actually manage it still remains to be seen—and that’s why we shouldn’t discount statements like the ones made by Brigadier General Mykhailo Drapaty.