“Don’t treat the Armed Forces like a football team”: a Ukrainian military officer – about the hype around the counteroffensive

Firsov emphasized that the enemy had built serious fortified areas. Therefore, even to repel a “small landing”, a lot of effort is spent.

Yehor Firsov, a former People’s Deputy and now a military officer of the 109th Territorial Defense Brigade, called on Ukrainians to be responsible when talking about the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

He wrote about this in Facebook.

“I’ll be honest – it’s starting to annoy me that I hear about the “counteroffensive” from every corner, – writes Yehor Firsov. – No matter where I open the video or the text, there is “competent” information about the counteroffensive everywhere.”

According to the military, many Ukrainians think that the counteroffensive will be similar to the operation in Kharkiv region, when 150 settlements were liberated almost without loss.

However, Firsov emphasizes: now the situation is completely different. The enemy concluded built serious fortified areasconducts video surveillance on the entire front line 24 hours a day.

“I am not against the fact that the territory should not be liberated. I am against the fact that you shouldn’t treat the Armed Forces like a football team, encouraging with applause and slogans to fight. You have no idea how much effort and sweat is spent to repel the enemy from a small landing 300 meters from your positions. And for some reason, people perceive the counteroffensive so easily, as if it was caught by a machine gun – “tra ta ta” and checkers,” said the former deputy of the People’s Republic of Ukraine.

He assured that there would certainly be a counteroffensive. But when the command sees an opportunity for him and seriously finishes training.

“Maybe in the spring, maybe in the summer or fall, or maybe tomorrow. But whenever it starts, we have treat conversations about him with responsibility. Because words shape public opinion, and public opinion influences the decisions of politicians, including Western ones. Politicians, in turn, set tasks for the military. And if these tasks are dictated by the expectations of the electorate, and not by the capabilities of the army and military expediency, then this means a lot of blood, lives and disappointments,” Firsov explained.

Preparation for the Ukrainian counteroffensive: what is known

Earlier, the spokesman of the Eastern Group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Serhiy Cherevaty, explained the conditions under which the spring counteroffensive would begin.

Oleksandr Musienko, head of the Center for Military and Legal Research, assessed whether the Russian Federation could disrupt the Ukrainian counteroffensive and the liberation of Crimea.

Military expert Oleg Zhdanov explained why Ukraine is announcing a counteroffensive of the Armed Forces.