Ukraine wants to recapture the city of Kherson and thereby deal Russia a sensitive blow. However, the capture of the city will be a heathen task. And how do you chase away the enemy without destroying the city? The attacks launched by the Ukrainian army on Monday to retake the city of Kherson did not come out of the blue. Autumn is on its way and swampy terrain is not in favor of the Ukrainians, who have to cover miles to get to Kherson. The ground is now hard enough for tanks and armored vehicles to advance. The Ukrainian army, which claims to have broken through the initial Russian lines of defense in several places, is said to have taken some five villages, according to various reports. These are located some 20 to 30 kilometers from Kherson. The army hopes that the devastating missile attacks in recent weeks on Russian supply lines, ammunition depots and command centers will enable a rapid advance. Should the Ukrainians indeed soon find themselves at the gates of Kherson, the question arises: how do you take a city surrounded by a sea of Russian-occupied territory? Some 20-30 thousand Russian soldiers, including those of the elite VDV forces, are defending the city. You don't just drive those away.
Inside look at Ukrainian strategy
U.S. military officials on Monday gave an inside look at Ukraine's strategy to recapture its first occupied city from the Russians. Kyiv would not be looking for a devastating urban war at all. The first option would be to cut off the Russians in Kherson from the rest of the Russian territory, and then force them to surrender. With the elimination of several bridges over the Dnipro River, Russia is already having difficulties supplying its units. Before that happens, the Ukrainians must take some 20 kilometers of territory to the edges of Kherson. This advance, however, makes them vulnerable to Russian artillery. The terrain is flat, it's a delta with many small rivers and streams,' says Brigadier-General retired Ruud Vermeulen (73), a former battalion commander with the Airborne Brigade and a lecturer at the Higher School of War. 'By acting in a staggered fashion, as far apart as possible, Ukrainian units become less vulnerable to Russian attacks.'
'A good chance,' the Pentagon thinks
The U.S., Pentagon officials tell news site Politico, thinks Ukraine has "a good chance" of retaking occupied territory. Only, what happens if that humiliating Russian surrender fails? Bombarding the city with brute force, as the Russians have done to other cities, is out of the question for the Ukrainian army. That leaves only a classic urban war: entering Kherson and fighting from building to building. That's a prayer without end,' says Vermeulen, who for years has been working on war strategies to fight a battle in a city. In his view, Ukraine should not be tempted into a city war. 'Those house-to-house battles will take a lot of fighting power and a lot of deaths.' That could cost Ukraine dearly later in the war, because immediately deployable units, with well-trained soldiers, are crucial. Vermeulen: 'You actually have to let the Russian units bleed to death. Cut them off completely and stop their supply, especially from the river.'
Troops on east side of city crucial
Crucial to this, he says, is that Ukraine is keeping considerable pressure on Russian troops on the east side of the river. Those troops are important for supplying the Russians. By attacking important targets, such as airfields and supply lines, the Russian units on the west side could run into trouble. 'They are then additionally forced to come to the aid of their colleagues in the east. This will make the capture of Kherson easier. But if the Russians do not surrender, at some point Ukraine will still have to enter the city and take buildings step by step.' The former brigadier general believes that the party that is mentally strongest will have the upper hand in Kherson. Vermeulen: 'And the Russians have the necessary problems in this area, as the past six months have shown.' According to him, the Ukrainians should make the losses to the Russians so great that it affects their will to continue fighting. The Russians have already had to watch as bridges over the river and other targets were destroyed with U.S. Himars missiles. Partisans and special forces have also caused major destruction. Vermeulen holds it possible that the battle for Kherson, in part because of the presence in the city of Russian airborne troops, could last into the winter. 'The troops on the west side will cross the river if necessary and fight their way out of the city,' he argues. 'That's what we, as the Dutch army, would do if you're cut off. If that happens, it will be a big mental blow to Russia, both militarily and mentally.'
https://www.volkskrant.nl/nieuws-ach...emen~b7cdbf41/