Russia may employ new strategies in their Kharkiv assault.
Ukraine is making every effort to halt the progress of Russian soldiers in the Kharkiv region. It seems to be succeeding to some degree, as the offensive speed is reported to have lessened. Rumors also suggest that Russian troops are employing new strategies.
Though Ukrainian troops have recently abandoned their individual positions in the Kharkiv region and probably allowed the Russians to seize more villages, the offensive pace is supposedly slowing down according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). An analysis claims that the Russian soldiers' attack pattern on Tuesday indicates they want to establish a "buffer zone" at the border and that capturing the city of Kharkiv, home to a million people, is not their immediate objective.
Ukraine's military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, stated that stabilization had begun in the Kharkiv region on Monday night. This is said to be the result of deploying more Ukrainian troops to the area to repel Russian advances.
ISW reports that various Russian and Ukrainian sources claim the Russian army is using a new method in the region. These sources assert that they are deploying small assault groups consisting of no more than five members to infiltrate Ukrainian positions and combine with other small groups to form a stronger force.
"Yet, the use of small strike teams could result in higher losses of soldiers and equipment for the Russian forces and slow down the overall speed of the Russian offensive in this sector," the US think tank remarked. A Russian military pundit, who previously trained instructors for the "Storm-Z" unit, allegedly criticized the footage of small Russian assault groups, implying the tactics are ineffective and reveal inadequate training and preparation.
Russia's Second Goal is to Expand and Create Staging Areas
Colonel Markus Reisner from the Austrian Army has stated in an interview with ntv.de that the Russians' second goal, apart from creating a buffer zone, is to expand their front line by 200 kilometers. "This puts Ukraine under pressure, as it now has to deploy its valuable reserves both in the Donbass and also north of Kharkiv." Moscow's third aim is to create a deployment zone for future attacks. "In other words, a kind of staging area from which the Russians could, in theory, also launch assaults against Kharkiv."
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky declared in a video address on Monday that Kiev had reinforced its troops in the Kharkiv region to ward off Russian attacks. The responsible Brigadier General Mykhailo Drapatyi will be supplied with all the necessary weapons and personnel. Per US reports, weapons from the $61 billion arms package approved a few weeks ago are now in Ukrainian hands.
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Source: www.ntv.de
