2024-02-24 13:23:18
As the Russian invasion enters its third year… Ukraine is on the defensive
The Russian invasion enters its third year and Ukraine is in a vulnerable position; Due to the disappearance of Western aid, while the Russian military machine is gaining strength while achieving new gains, according to Agence France-Presse.
When Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” at dawn on February 24, 2022, many expected a victory for Moscow within days, but Ukraine repelled the attack and forced Russian forces to retreat more than once.
However, Ukraine suffered setbacks with the failure of its counterattack in 2023. On the other hand, the Russian army was able to build a position of strength thanks to the boom in military production, while the Ukrainian forces suffer from a shortage of manpower and ammunition that the West provides for artillery and air defenses.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said yesterday (Friday) that decisions regarding arms supplies should be a “priority.”
On the occasion of the anniversary, Western leaders will arrive, including Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who praised Ukraine’s “extraordinary resistance” upon her arrival in Kiev (Saturday).
Italian Foreign Minister Giorgia Meloni and her Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau also arrived.
Meloni will chair a virtual meeting of the “G7” on Ukraine, in the presence of President Volodymyr Zelensky. The meeting is expected to discuss imposing new sanctions on Moscow.
But the overall outlook remains bleak for Kiev; Because Congress obstructed a vital aid package worth $60 billion. This is in addition to the delay in the arrival of promised European supplies.
US President Joe Biden renewed his calls for Republican lawmakers to release additional funding, warning that “history is taking stock, and the failure to support Ukraine at this critical moment will not be forgotten.”
The Supreme Commander of the Ukrainian Army, Oleksandr Sersky, said (Saturday) that Ukraine will defeat the Russian “darkness.” He wrote on Telegram: “I am convinced that our victory lies in unity. This will certainly happen; Because light always triumphs over darkness.
“War is our life”
On Saturday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu inspected his forces in areas it occupies in Ukraine, and told the soldiers in one of the command centers: “Today, in terms of the ratio of forces, we have the advantage.”
The army statement said that Shoigu was informed that Russian forces were in an offensive mode after taking control of the strategic industrial city of Avdiivka.
Russia is intensifying its offensive in the east, and the devastated town of Mariinka near Donetsk was the last hotspot it captured after the heavily fortified Avdiivka on February 17.
The Ukrainian economy was also damaged; Due to Polish farmers closing the border; Which “threatens exports and disrupts the delivery of weapons,” according to Kiev.
In Kiev, the atmosphere is bleak, but not without challenge. Residents say that they have become accustomed to war conditions.
Olga Berko, a nutrition expert in Kiev, said: “For the women of Ukraine, we are suffering for our husbands, children and fathers.”
She added: “I would really like this to end as soon as possible.”
“Yes, of course we have learned to live with it,” said Yuri Pasichnik, a 38-year-old businessman. “The war is now our life.”
Russian soldiers walk through the rubble near a destroyed car in Avdiivka, Ukraine (Reuters)
Kostyantin Goffman (51 years old) said: “I believe that we need more weapons so that we can expel this evil spirit from our land and begin rebuilding Ukraine.”
Ukraine needs about half a trillion dollars to rebuild towns and cities destroyed in the Russian invasion, according to the latest estimates from the World Bank, the European Union, the United Nations, and the Ukrainian government.
Ukraine estimates that about 50,000 civilians were killed.
Running out of ammo
Neither side announced the number of military deaths and injuries, while each side confirms that it inflicted heavy losses on the other side.
In August 2023, the New York Times quoted American officials as saying that the toll of Ukraine’s military losses had reached 70,000 dead and 120,000 wounded.
American intelligence leaks in December indicated that 315,000 Russian soldiers were killed or wounded.
On the eastern front, morale is declining at a time when Ukrainian forces are suffering losses on the ground against Russian forces that are superior in numbers and equipment.
A soldier near Bakhmut, requesting anonymity, said: “We have run out of ammunition and the Russians continue to advance.” A large number of our comrades were injured or worse. “Everything is getting worse.”
Britain announced (Saturday) a new military package worth 245 million pounds ($311 million) to help boost the production of “much-needed artillery munitions” for Ukraine, while Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stressed, in a previous statement coinciding with the war anniversary, that “ Tyranny will never win.”
Moscow has significantly increased its weapons production and obtained drones from Iran, while Kiev says it has confirmed that Russia has used North Korean missiles.
Zelensky said in December that the army was seeking to mobilize up to 500,000 additional soldiers. A draft law in this regard raised widespread concerns.
The war further isolated Russia from the West, with the United States and its allies imposing a series of sanctions.
But Putin ignored the repercussions and praised the soldiers, saying that they were “true national heroes.”
Putin exploited the war period to mobilize patriotic feelings and launched a harsher crackdown on dissent, while few people dared to express their opposition to the war.
With the death of the Kremlin’s most prominent opponent, Alexei Navalny, in prison, the stage is empty for Putin, who is expected to win a new term in the elections next month.
On the streets of Moscow, most of the people AFP spoke to confirmed their support for the soldiers fighting in Ukraine.
“I am proud of our men,” said Nadezhda, a 27-year-old environmental engineer.
She added: “Of course I am worried about them, but it is reassuring that they are fine.” They fight for our country.”
But Konstantin, a drama teacher who currently works as a waiter, had a different opinion and said: “I am against all wars. “It’s been two years and it bothers me that people can’t talk to each other and are still at war.”
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