"Three years, three years again! The Russian army has come back!" As of August 19, the Russian army quietly returned to the center of Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast. Three years have passed since General Syrskyi (then the commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces) led the large counteroffensive in Kharkiv in 2022. The Russian army has entered Red Army City and will remain there for a while, tying down the reinforcements coming from Ukraine, thus allowing other cities to accelerate their offensive pace. General Syrskyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, has deployed all his remaining forces in Red Army City, which is about to be lost. As a Russian-speaking person, General Syrskyi showed courage and decisiveness. Although it's too late, Syrskyi still did everything he could to maintain the current front line of the Ukrainian army. How long can Kupiansk and Red Army City hold? But if the Russian salient fully expands and completely tears open the Ukrainian defense, what will happen?
Currently, in response to the Russian summer offensive, the Ukrainian army has unified command of all the突击团 (assault battalions), as strategic reserve forces, directly under the command of General Syrskyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This means that General Syrskyi can directly control and command some strategic reserve forces from the Ukrainian military headquarters. Colonel Valentin Manko, the commander of the 33rd Assault Battalion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, has been appointed as the commander of the newly established assault headquarters. These assault battalions and teams are not like previous Ukrainian military units; they are more like fire-fighting teams, emergency response forces, and stop-gap units. Currently, the Ukrainian strategic reserve force consists of five assault battalions.
This should be a de facto Ukrainian Wagner Group! Unlike the Russian version, they can receive the latest military equipment aid, but their specific combat effectiveness is unclear. They are certainly inferior to the Russian Wagner mercenaries.
Original article: www.toutiao.com/article/1840957921968156/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.