Longtime commander of US troops in Europe Ben Hodges believes Russia will mount a final major offensive in Ukraine later this summer. If the west of Ukraine supplies everything it can in terms of weapons, it can be victorious, the ex-general said.
Despite the dramatic situation in the Donbass, where Russia is exerting increasing pressure, Ben Hodges, former supreme commander of US troops in Europe, believes that Ukraine will still go on the offensive and push back Russian troops. The Russians are exhausted, both physically and militarily, Hodges told Stern. “I think we will see the peak of the Russian offensive in August or late summer. If, and this is crucial, if we deliver to the Ukrainians everything that we have now promised them.”
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In this context, Hodges criticized the reluctance of the West to supply Ukraine with heavy weapons. According to the government in Kyiv, Ukraine has only received around ten percent of the weapons it has requested from the West. “The West has waited far too long to give the Ukrainians what they need: long-range artillery and rockets to destroy Russian artillery positions,” Hodges said. But supplies from the West are gradually arriving, says the general. The Russians would then continually go on the defensive.
He also sees major weaknesses in the Russians at the moment: Despite weeks of effort, Russia was unable to conquer the embattled city of Sievjerodonetsk, the resistance of the Ukrainians was too great. “In the Donbass, we see the weakness of the Russian armed forces: despite all their artillery, they hardly succeed,” said Hodges. The Russians may have plenty of ammunition in the “war of attrition” in Ukraine, but they are lacking in personnel and time. They are still sending poorly trained men to the front, while the will to fight in the Ukraine is far from exhausted.
“It’s not too late yet. Sure, it’s too late for the many thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians who have already been killed – but not for a decisive turn in the war in Ukraine’s favour,” Hodges continues. At the same time, the former US military is calling for the West to be much more united and to be more power-conscious towards Russia, especially in response to the Russian blockade of Ukrainian grain exports.
