FT: Ukraine’s defense is cracking ᐉ News from Fakti.bg – World

Russian troops are rapidly taking more and more territory in Ukraine, taking advantage of cracks in the defense of Ukraine caused by the lack of forces and mistakes of the military leadership.

Senior Ukrainian officials told the Financial Times that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s main goal on the battlefield this year is to capture as much ground as possible.

A Ukrainian source, who wished to remain anonymous, admitted that “Ukraine’s front line defense is cracking. ” He warned that Russian troops had achieved “tactical success” in the Donetsk region and that if the situation did not change, new crimes were likely.

The area of ​​land captured by Russian troops since the beginning of May is almost double what the Ukrainian army has captured during the offensive in the summer of a year ago. Last month, the Russians managed to capture several key positions, while Ukraine’s position in these directions continues to decline, analysts said.

Analysts and soldiers say that Russia has also taken advantage of Kiev’s irregular battle distribution, allowing rapid advances in several directions, especially in the Pokrovsk and Toretsk areas. As the FT notes, the recent improvement in Ukrainian firepower has yet to make an impact on the battlefield. According to experts, the main reason for Russia’s continued advance is the huge shortage of people, especially infantry, in Ukraine. In addition, Russia’s strategy of expanding the front line in Kharkiv Oblast further stretched Ukrainian forces and left them with fewer reserves to deal with Russian offensives. attack Pokrovsk, Chasov Yar and Toretsk.

Experts expect the Russians to become more active in Donbass this month and try to advance on Konstantinovka, which will be the main target after the fall of Chasov Yar. Some officials are hopeful that Russia’s offensive will slow as its troops move closer to cities where Ukrainian defenses are stronger.

A high-ranking Russian official has warned Ukraine that the longer it delays peace talks, the more difficult the conditions for concluding peace will become for its people. Sergei Shoigu, secretary of the Russian Security Council and until recently defense minister, said that since Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed peace terms on June 14, Ukraine has lost 420 square kilometers of territory and suffered many casualties. Moscow’s position is that Ukraine must surrender a fifth of its territory – much of it controlled by Russia – and give up any chance of joining NATO, terms that Kiev strongly rejects. . Last month, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Kiev was ready to negotiate, but only with respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within the borders recognized by the most UN countries.