NEW DELHI: As a new Russian offensive has wrested back kilometers of terrain near Kharkiv, the second largest city in Ukraine, fighting have intensified.
“There’s no doubt that Ukraine is not losing but it’s not winning either,” claims Seth Jones who is the director of international security at Center for Strategic and International Studies. “There are also no peace talks going on or any interest by Ukrainians to hold such talks. Russia feels it has the initiative.”
Russian aggression continues to be thwarted by Ukrainian soldiers backed with billions worth of American weaponry. However, Kharkov might suffer more from bombing as Russian artillery approaches. The newly ratified US $60bn military aid package to Ukraine is expected to strengthen its defense, however, non-provision of the authorized aid has exposed Ukrainian forces.
The last few miles that Russia gained on Ukrainian territory near Kharkiv did not cross their first line of defense consisting mostly of open land in Ukraine’s northeast.
Russia is planning to create a buffer zone against attacks across its border aimed at Russian cities according to US officials.
In addition, morale and manpower issues have been identified among Ukrainian troops after months of intense combat operations with limited reinforcements and dwindling supplies of ammunition (USA Today).
Late provision by Congress of military aid has left Ukrainian defenses even more weakened.
Mykola Bielieskov, a military research fellow at Ukraine’s National Institute for Strategic Studies, said “it would be difficult” when asked about when this new US military assistance would make a difference. He added that there had been a significant escalation in terms of presence of Russians troops again in northern regions; however he noted that immediate aspirations remained limited for Russia as ever before.
This was echoed by professor Phillips P O’Brien from Scotland’s St Andrews University who argued that after Ukraine sent reinforcements to this area its forces halted their advancement into North East Ukraine towards Russia.
However, Jones argues that Russia cannot break through Ukraine’s defense given that it is grappling with combining its troops, tanks and warplanes. Ukraine’s ground forces have been protected by its air defense system from cover provided by Russia’s air force.
The Institute for the Study of War has reported Russian control of parts of northeastern Ukraine including Hlyboke, Neskuchne, Starytsya, and Vovchansk. Russian operations have slowed down in less defended areas after initial gains.
One Ukrainian soldier involved in scouting missions expressed disappointment at the U.S. military aid arguing that while it helped them to survive and fight back, it was not enough for victory. He pointed out that Russia’s meager gains came at a great price: over 900 Russians killed or wounded every day, nearly half a million casualties since the beginning of the war.
British Defence Intelligence estimates that this summer there will be even more Russian casualties reaching over half a million dead and wounded. However President Putin has managed to quell domestic resistance through dispatching troops from Siberia, Central Asia as well as prisoners thereby saving sons of elites from Moscow and St Petersburg (Oxford)
