Stavros Atlamazoglou
When the peace talks about ending the war in Ukraine begin in earnest, they will undoubtedly be influenced by the conditions on the battlefield. After all, the gains of the two combatants and their strategic situation are the crucial leverage that will be used in any negotiation.
Here, the facts favor the Kremlin. The Russian military is on the offensive. Conversely, the Ukrainian forces are fighting a defensive campaign. Russia currently holds the strategic initiative and is largely dictating the moves on the battlefield. On the other hand, Ukraine is reacting to the movements of the Russian military in an attempt to stem its tactical advances.
A Tour of the Battlefield
There are currently five active fronts in the war. Russia maintains the initiative in four of them, while Ukraine controls one.
The main Russian effort is located in eastern Ukraine, in the direction of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. According to the Institute of the Study of War, the Kremlin’s objective on this front is to “push [the] Ukrainian forces back from the international border with Belgorod Oblast and approach to within tube artillery range of Kharkiv City.” In the initial stages of the conflict, the Russian military was within artillery range of Kharkiv. However, successful Ukrainian counterattacks relieved the city by the fall.
No comments:
Post a Comment