The intensity of the advances of the Russian forces in the northeast of Ukraine continues. Against these advances, so far, the weak fortifications of Ukraine have not been able to create any obstacles. In this new war zone, the Ukrainian soldiers were surprised and left their shells and ran away. On the villages that were liberated nearly 2 years ago, the relentless artillery fire suddenly fell and even in a scene reminiscent of the first days of the war, it caused hundreds of people to flee.
Publish dateTuesday 28 May 2024 - 15:18
Story Code : 291148
Rapid advance on the Kharkiv front; The Russians know what they are doing
New York Times/ Abu Mansour Ghaznavi
Afghan Voice Agency (AVA): News Analysis and Research Service: Russia's significant advance in the Kharkiv region, along with the intensification of its summer attacks, has revealed the challenges facing the tired Ukrainian forces, who are in a tight spot in terms of the sources of ammunition and equipment they need. The Russian troops, who poured across the border, made good use of their ample ammunition, including artillery shells, and their air force, including fighters and heavy bombers, which, unhindered by Ukraine's worn-out air defense systems, had a catastrophic impact on and as a result, the unprecedented escape of Ukrainian forces from the front line continues.
Tetyana Novikova, a Ukrainian citizen, said there was not even a single Ukrainian soldier in sight as she fled the place where she had spent her entire life.
Upon reaching the border, Russian troops easily broke through fortifications, including ditches, landmines and anti-tank barriers, some of which Ukrainian soldiers said were inadequate or camouflaged.
Ukrainian officials said on condition of anonymity that the situation in the Kharkiv region is critical but under control. On Saturday, Ukrainian forces appeared to slow the Russian advance, though reports indicated heavy fighting in a narrow area five miles from the Russian border.
After more than 2 years of the war, the Ukrainian army is still facing challenges in having enough soldiers to effectively defend the 600-mile front line. Meanwhile, the Russian army has sent thousands of new troops. As the extent of Russian operations became clear over the weekend, instead of sending reserve forces, the Ukrainian army moved troops from other areas of the front. According to the Ukrainian authorities, the reason for this action was the lack of reserve forces.
Of course, with the advance of Russian forces, there are concerns that they will be within artillery range of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, for the first time in two years. "The Russians know what they are doing," said a Ukrainian commander on condition of anonymity.
Kostiantyn Mashovets, a Ukrainian military analyst, says that the Russians had been gathering troops on the northern borders of Ukraine for several months, and 50,000 of them were sent to Kharkiv and Sumy in this region.
It seems that senior Ukrainian officials took this risk seriously; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a highly coordinated visit to the fortifications around Kharkiv on April 9.
Zelensky said during this trip: "We must be ready. The Russians must see that we are ready to defend ourselves. Our people should also understand that Ukraine is ready in case the enemy tries to launch an attack."
These preparations did nothing to stop Russian attacks. Part of the problem is restrictions on Ukraine's use of advanced American weapons. Even as Ukrainian forces have seen Russian forces build up on their northern borders, the White House ban on using high-precision weapons, including HIMARS rocket launcher systems, against targets which were located in Russian territory, prevented Ukraine from attacking them.
On the other hand, Ukraine has been facing disadvantages since the beginning of this war. They are facing a very vast country with a huge manpower and a large arsenal, which is constantly replenished by the activity of its defense industry.
Some Ukrainian officials said that barricading the areas near the border is almost impossible due to Russian artillery attacks. But stronger defenses built farther from the borders have so far held up under Russian attacks, they said.
Denis Yaroslavsky, the general of the 57th brigade of the Ukrainian army, says that when the Russians started their attacks, some points of the trenches collapsed and the soldiers fled under heavy bombardment. According to him, "Many questions can be asked to those who were responsible for building the front line fortifications and were supposed to mine and strengthen it."
In this report, it is claimed: Officials and military analysts say that Russia probably does not have enough force to capture the city of Kharkiv. Russia appears to have relied on its slight superiority to disperse and tire Ukrainian forces.
According to the analysis published by the British Royal Institute of United Services, Russia currently has about 510,000 military forces deployed in this battle. This number is enough to carry out attacks along the front line that constantly unbalance Ukrainian forces as they try to respond to multiple attacks.
It should be said that Russia's goal is not to make a big opening, but to convince Ukraine that it can advance kilometer by kilometer on the front line.
On the other hand, the new weapons that are supposed to be the new aid package of the US government worth 61 billion dollars to Ukraine, including artillery shells and air defense munitions, could reduce the pressure on Ukrainian forces to some extent. The new recruitment by the Ukrainian government and the deployment of new troops will also have such an effect.
Despite all this, the question we are facing now, as the summer of war approaches, is whether the conditions ahead will be enough to slow down the Russian attacks or not.
Tetyana Novikova, a Ukrainian citizen, said there was not even a single Ukrainian soldier in sight as she fled the place where she had spent her entire life.
Upon reaching the border, Russian troops easily broke through fortifications, including ditches, landmines and anti-tank barriers, some of which Ukrainian soldiers said were inadequate or camouflaged.
Ukrainian officials said on condition of anonymity that the situation in the Kharkiv region is critical but under control. On Saturday, Ukrainian forces appeared to slow the Russian advance, though reports indicated heavy fighting in a narrow area five miles from the Russian border.
After more than 2 years of the war, the Ukrainian army is still facing challenges in having enough soldiers to effectively defend the 600-mile front line. Meanwhile, the Russian army has sent thousands of new troops. As the extent of Russian operations became clear over the weekend, instead of sending reserve forces, the Ukrainian army moved troops from other areas of the front. According to the Ukrainian authorities, the reason for this action was the lack of reserve forces.
Of course, with the advance of Russian forces, there are concerns that they will be within artillery range of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, for the first time in two years. "The Russians know what they are doing," said a Ukrainian commander on condition of anonymity.
Kostiantyn Mashovets, a Ukrainian military analyst, says that the Russians had been gathering troops on the northern borders of Ukraine for several months, and 50,000 of them were sent to Kharkiv and Sumy in this region.
It seems that senior Ukrainian officials took this risk seriously; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a highly coordinated visit to the fortifications around Kharkiv on April 9.
Zelensky said during this trip: "We must be ready. The Russians must see that we are ready to defend ourselves. Our people should also understand that Ukraine is ready in case the enemy tries to launch an attack."
These preparations did nothing to stop Russian attacks. Part of the problem is restrictions on Ukraine's use of advanced American weapons. Even as Ukrainian forces have seen Russian forces build up on their northern borders, the White House ban on using high-precision weapons, including HIMARS rocket launcher systems, against targets which were located in Russian territory, prevented Ukraine from attacking them.
On the other hand, Ukraine has been facing disadvantages since the beginning of this war. They are facing a very vast country with a huge manpower and a large arsenal, which is constantly replenished by the activity of its defense industry.
Some Ukrainian officials said that barricading the areas near the border is almost impossible due to Russian artillery attacks. But stronger defenses built farther from the borders have so far held up under Russian attacks, they said.
Denis Yaroslavsky, the general of the 57th brigade of the Ukrainian army, says that when the Russians started their attacks, some points of the trenches collapsed and the soldiers fled under heavy bombardment. According to him, "Many questions can be asked to those who were responsible for building the front line fortifications and were supposed to mine and strengthen it."
In this report, it is claimed: Officials and military analysts say that Russia probably does not have enough force to capture the city of Kharkiv. Russia appears to have relied on its slight superiority to disperse and tire Ukrainian forces.
According to the analysis published by the British Royal Institute of United Services, Russia currently has about 510,000 military forces deployed in this battle. This number is enough to carry out attacks along the front line that constantly unbalance Ukrainian forces as they try to respond to multiple attacks.
It should be said that Russia's goal is not to make a big opening, but to convince Ukraine that it can advance kilometer by kilometer on the front line.
On the other hand, the new weapons that are supposed to be the new aid package of the US government worth 61 billion dollars to Ukraine, including artillery shells and air defense munitions, could reduce the pressure on Ukrainian forces to some extent. The new recruitment by the Ukrainian government and the deployment of new troops will also have such an effect.
Despite all this, the question we are facing now, as the summer of war approaches, is whether the conditions ahead will be enough to slow down the Russian attacks or not.
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