David Axe
On April 20, Russian troops took advantage of the confusion resulting from a reshuffling of Ukrainian forces west of the ruins of the eastern city of Avdiivka—and attacked.
Breaking through positions held by the Ukrainian army’s 115th Mechanized Brigade, which had recently rotated into positions in Ocheretyne, the Russian army’s 30th Motor Rifle Brigade quickly advanced several miles to the west. Russian reinforcements raced into the breach, cementing the territorial gains.
Three months later, it’s happening again—and in the same sector. In just the last week, Russian regiments and brigades have advanced nearly four miles farther west from Ocheretyne.
Marching .6 miles a day might not seem particularly fast, but by the standards of Russia’s 28-month wider war on Ukraine, it’s practically a sprint. Famed Ukrainian war correspondent Yuriy Butusov called the situation around Ocheretyne “critically difficult.”
Amid staggeringly high Russian casualties and extreme losses in armored vehicles that are contributing to a slow de-mechanization of the Russian military, it’s easy to lose sight of Russia’s enduring advantages over Ukraine as the wider war grinds into its third year.
No comments:
Post a Comment