Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has arrested several members of a Ukrainian saboteur group in Zaporozhye Region that was planning to stage terrorist attacks in the area, according to a statement issued by the agency on Thursday.
In the statement, the FSB said that the group, which was established by Ukrainian security services in the Russian city of Melitopol, had previously attempted to assassinate local officials. The saboteurs used self-made explosive devices and are thought to have killed at least one person and left several injured, the agency claimed.
The FSB went on to point out that the suspects were planning to plant an explosive device they had received from Ukrainian security services on a railway line and detonate it under a train transporting military cargo and hardware meant for the Russian army.
The suspects were apprehended by FSB operatives while retrieving the bomb from a stash, the agency said. It also released a video featuring aerial footage of one apparent suspect walking along a road. The clip then shows a minivan pulling over near the suspect, with operatives jumping out of the vehicle and tackling the man. Another part of the clip features several suspects with blurred faces delivering confessionary statements.
Amid the ongoing conflict, Russia’s security services have ramped up their efforts to uncover clandestine Ukrainian activities. The members of numerous Kiev-linked groups have been detained in recent months. The arrest on Thursday followed a similar FSB operation the day before in the same region, when another Ukrainian saboteur group planning to target local Russian officials was apprehended.
Watch Russian Lancet Drone Destroy Ukrainian Tank
Russia’s distinctive dual x-wing drones began to be regularly spotted on the battlefield in Ukraine this spring, destroying NATO artillery, rocket launchers and anti-aircraft systems, and moving on to take on tanks and armored vehicles after Kiev launched its long-awaited counteroffensive in early June.
The Russian Defense Ministry has published footage of a Russian Lancet kamikaze drone striking a Ukrainian T-64M Bulat tank in Donetsk region.
The footage shows the tank being monitored as it stands at the crossroads of a local dirt road, with a Lancet striking its aft armor, exploding and kicking up a cloud of dust. Flames can be seen shooting out of the tank, indicating that its armor had been penetrated and its ammunition detonated. The fire grows, and eventually, the tank explodes in a fireball, pieces of its armor flying in all directions.
Ukraine’s tank crews have suffered heavy losses amid Kiev’s faltering attempts at a counteroffensive. This week, German media revealed that Ukrainian tankers fighting in Zaporozhye region were deliberately feigning breakdowns to avoid fighting Russian forces and being blown up by Russian artillery and drones.
The stalled counteroffensive weakened after Kiev sent its domestically built and Leopard 1 and 2 main battle tanks head on against well-prepared Russian defensive positions without air and artillery superiority. President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted this week that progress has been slower than expected.
Kiev’s counteroffensive ‘not meeting expectations’ of Western states — CNN
The Ukrainian counteroffensive does not meet the expectations of Western states, CNN reported Thursday citing two Western officials and a high-ranking Pentagon representative.
According to the report, one Western official noted that the Ukrainian offensive is "not meeting expectations on any front." In addition, Western states point out the strength of Russian defensive positions and efficient deflection of Ukrainian attacks with missile strikes.
At the same time, Ukrainian forces are proving "vulnerable" to minefields, the report says.
On Tuesday, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar admitted that Ukrainian forces face difficulties during the ongoing counteroffensive. Earlier, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky also admitted that the offensive proceeds "slower than desired." On Tuesday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that Ukrainian forces met well-prepared Russian defenses.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukrainian forces have been making futile offensive attempts since June 4. On June 22, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev said that Ukraine has lost over 13,000 personnel since the beginning of the counteroffensive. Russian President Vladimir Putin also underscored that Ukrainian forces have been unsuccessful on all directions.
Ukrainian Counteroffensive Falling Short of Expectations, Western Officials Say
The Ukrainian counteroffensive, in its early stages, is yielding results below initial expectations, with Russian forces demonstrating greater competence than initially assessed, two Western officials and a senior US military official said in an interview with Western media.
Western assessments have found that Russia's defensive lines are well fortified, posing a challenge to Ukrainian forces attempting to penetrate them. In addition, Russian forces have effectively used air power, missile strikes, and mines to hinder Ukrainian armor, and have demonstrated a strong defensive strategy. One Western official noted that Ukrainian forces are vulnerable to minefields, while Russian forces have shown competence in their defensive tactics. However, the officials noted that the counteroffensive is still in its early phases.
The counteroffensive is “not meeting expectations on any front,” one of the officials said.
The US and its allies are desperately trying to remain optimistic that Ukrainian forces will gradually make territorial gains, as they expect a comprehensive assessment of the counteroffensive's progress by July, as they deem it crucial in determining the ultimate outcome of the war.
The officials also note that although Ukrainian forces have been trying to adapt to Russian tactics and defenses, the counteroffensive is proving to be a challenging endeavor for Ukraine, which has sustained heavy losses in both troops and NATO military equipment over the past two weeks.
In a recent interview with Western media, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also acknowledged that progress had been slower than desired.
Western officials had previously cautioned that defending forces typically maintain significant advantages, particularly due to the time Russian forces had to fortify their defensive lines. Reports indicate that the Russian defenses, known as the "Surovikin Defensive Line," consist of an intricate network of trenches, minefields, anti-tank obstacles, and earthen berms spanning approximately 2,000 km. The sheer length and complexity of the fortified front line pose significant obstacles.
Additionally, adverse weather conditions have also posed challenges for Ukrainian forces, hampering their offensive operations.
“The weather has been playing havoc with the offensive schedule as vehicles have struggled with trafficability,” one of the officials said.
Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense has reported that Ukrainian forces have suffered thousands of casualties and the destruction of nearly 200 tanks and over 400 armored vehicles over the past two weeks.
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