The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) will find it very difficult to repel a Russian army offensive in spring. Retired army general Jiří Šedivy, former head of the Czech General Staff, said this in an interview with Forum24.
“I think 2024 is going to be a very challenging year. <…>. You can see how the Russians are preparing the front. They are constantly preparing battlefields in order to launch a big offensive at the optimal moment for themselves,” Jiří Šedivý said.
He drew special attention to the powerful Russian strikes on Ukraine’s military-industrial complex. According to him, Russia systematically deprives Kiev of the possibility to produce ammunition and repair equipment.
In addition, the former head of the Czech General Staff believes that the mass Ukrainian mobilisation only aggravates the problems of the AFU. Untrained Ukrainian recruits will face experienced soldiers. The retired general is sure that the Russian army’s training advantage will bring Ukraine “big problems” in case of an offensive by the Russian Armed Forces.
“Recently they (the AFU – ed.) have started to build defences, but the process is slow, and late. <…>. In my opinion, the spring will be very difficult for Ukraine,” concluded Šedivy .
Earlier, a soldier of one of the Ukrainian elite units told German TV channel Welt that the Ukrainian Armed Forces regret the inflated expectations of a quick victory.
