Russia Ukraine war latest news

 

According to U.S. officials on Wednesday, Russia has achieved gradual but steady progress against Ukraine in recent weeks, but at a high cost: the bloodiest month in the almost three-year conflict.

According to sources who were given anonymity to brief reporters at the Pentagon on the war's progress, Russia has now lost over 600,000 people as a result of the offensives in the Donbas.

Although it is consistent with earlier Ukrainian figures, the estimated number of casualties—more than 40 times Russia's fatalities during its ten-year war of Afghanistan in the 1980s—only partially explains the situation.


Over the past few months, Russian soldiers have taken control of eastern Ukraine, seizing a number of important towns that the Ukrainians have obstinately defended against Russian attacks.

According to one of the officials, the town of Pokrovsk in the Donbas, a vital transportation hub for Ukrainian forces on the front lines, is getting closer to the slow and bloody advances. Ukrainian forces battling along hundreds of miles of disputed front line would suffer a significant setback if the town were to fall.

As Moscow's commanders appear to have settled on a strategy of exchanging bodies for ground, the Russian offensives since the summer have involved massive artillery attacks followed by large troop movements racing headlong toward well-entrenched Ukrainian positions, resulting in thousands of casualties.

Moscow seems to be banking that fatalities are sustainable, at least in the medium term, as Russian victories have been the most substantial and long-lasting since its initial invasion in February 2022.

According to a military official, "they have tried to overcome [Ukrainian] fires with massive maneuver." The sheer number of Russian forces in the area surrounding Pokrovsk is staggering. Tens of thousands of forces have been applied to that tiny region. As you are aware, having so many troops in such a confined location creates an environment that is rich in targets for Ukrainians.

Unable to completely fend off the Russian attacks, the Ukrainian government has been retreating since the summer despite sending troops in a hurry to cover breaches in its front lines.

The main components of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's "plan for victory," which includes more weapons and a lifting of restrictions by the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany to allow their long-range weapons to be used deep inside Russia where Kyiv deems appropriate, have not been well received despite his efforts to sell it to leaders in Washington and Europe.

According to a civilian defense officer who attended the briefing, U.S. policy regarding the employment of weapons given by the West has not changed.

At a NATO heads of state summit scheduled for Germany this weekend, the topic was anticipated to be raised. However, because of Hurricane Milton preparations, President Joe Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin withdrew from the meeting, which was subsequently canceled.

Next week, NATO defense ministers will gather in Belgium.

Concerns have been raised that shortages in other places may result from Ukraine's deployment of thousands of troops to Russia's Kursk region since August. However, before the Russians can properly plan a response, analysts think Ukraine can continue the struggle inside Russia for months, according to the military officer.

According to the official, the Russians "have significant logistical issues on their side in terms of repositioning troops and organizing themselves" to launch an offensive, while the Ukrainians have successfully resupplied troops inside Russia as a result of inadequate preparation and cooperation.

"I don't think they'll be able to take Kursk back anytime soon, and nothing has shown me that they're prepared to make a big move in that direction."

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