Russia pays high price for advance in Donetsk
The Kremlin celebrates smallest successes greatly and often conceals losses. Once again, the capture of two villages in the Donezk region by Kiev's troops is causing the destruction of Russian tanks.
Russian troops have reported new successes in their advance in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donezk. The Russian Defense Ministry announced the capture of the villages of Progress and Evheniwka. However, there was no confirmation from the Ukrainian side regarding Evheniwka. The pro-Ukrainian military channel Deep State had already reported three months ago on Telegram that the village of Progress, which had been fought over for three months in the Pokrowsk district, had been taken by Russian troops.
In Progress, Russian troops managed to encircle hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers. Despite the support of additional troops, their liberation was not successful - until Thursday. It was reported then that the encircled soldiers had managed to clear their way out. It was said that they were unharmed.
The current Russian statements cannot be verified independently. However, Russian troops have reportedly taken control of numerous cities and villages in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine since the beginning of the year, according to estimates by Western military experts.
Russia suffers losses again
Not far from the two settlements, the Russian troops experienced another setback. In an attack on the settlement of Krasnogorovka, 25 kilometers south of Progress, they lost reportedly two tanks and two armored personnel carriers. In social media, there are reports of a combination of mines and drone-dropped ammunition that destroyed the Russian tanks. In another video, it can be seen that apparently Russian troops attempted to make a push with a total of six vehicles. Many soldiers were reportedly able to escape.
Approximately 15 kilometers west of Krasnogorovka, the Russian troops recently experienced a debacle. There, they offered up a much larger number of vehicles and soldiers and headed towards Kurachowe. 57 armored vehicles and 12 motorcycles were counted, along with 200 infantrymen. The Ukrainian defenders reported that they had repelled the large-scale attack. They claimed to have destroyed six tanks and seven armored vehicles, as well as all motorcycles. The statements cannot be verified. Videos in social media show a large number of vehicles in a push and some of them being hit.
Western experts, including the "Institute for the Study of War" (ISW), were surprised by the Russian tactics. In their view, this shows a "lack of foresight" on the part of the Russians. "The persistent readiness of the military command to accept high losses for small tactical gains is becoming increasingly costly for the Russian military forces, as the shortages of the Russian military forces are expected to worsen in the coming years," the US think tank wrote in its analysis.
The Russian military has a large reserve of tanks and armored vehicles, but these are not inexhaustible. It is surprising that armored vehicles are not saved for operationally significant targets, according to ISW. The Russian military has already lost significant military equipment in Ukraine nearly three years after the start of its invasion. The independent portal Oryx documents these losses based on videos and photos. According to this, the number of tanks has decreased by 3271 - through destruction, damage, or capture by Ukrainian troops. The number of lost armored fighting vehicles and transport vehicles is around 6000.
Kremlin relies on outdated military equipment
Western experts have noted for some time that the tanks and infantry fighting vehicles that Russia has recently deployed to Ukraine are of older design - from the 50s and 60s. In social media, images of artillery guns even appear that are said to be from the 40s. The Kremlin has clearly shifted Russia to a war economy, but it cannot produce military equipment as quickly as it is currently being lost in Ukraine. Therefore, material is being referred back to the large Russian storage facilities. However, this is dwindling, and quite rapidly.
The Defense Ministry in Moscow reported dozens of captures in the annexed territories of Luhansk and Donetsk and also in the predominantly Ukrainian-controlled region of Kharkiv since the beginning of the year. Russia's goal is to fully occupy the annexed, but not yet fully controlled Ukrainian territories of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Donetsk. There is usually no official confirmation of territory losses in Kiev.
Ukraine has been defending itself against the Russian offensive war for over two years with Western military aid. Approximately a fifth of the country is occupied by Russian troops.
- Despite the Russian Defense Ministry's claim of capturing Evheniwka in Donetsk, the Ukrainian side has not provided confirmation, leading to questions about the authenticity of the victory.
- The attack on Krasnogorovka, which is located 25 kilometers south of Progress, resulted in the loss of two Russian tanks and two armored personnel carriers, as reported by social media sources.
- The 'Institute for the Study of War' (ISW) expressed surprise at Russia's tactics in eastern Ukraine, criticizing the military command's willingness to accept high losses for minimal tactical gains and suggesting that this strategy could further deplete Russia's already dwindling reserves of tanks and armored vehicles.
