Ukraine breaks through Russian front and now faces even more massive obstacles. A turning point in the conflict?
Ukraine faces new challenges in the conflict with Russia. How the Kyiv Post reported Ukraine had broken through the first Russian defense line in some areas, but they were then faced with solid concrete fortifications as a second line of defense. In this regard, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar had said that despite the intense resistance of the enemy and the presence of minefields in the south of the country, some progress had been made.
However, the Kyiv Post reported that despite this progress, Ukrainian forces faced significant obstacles. The Russian side had erected formidable defenses, including deep minefields. Moreover, Ukrainian forces lack sufficient equipment to clear these huge minefields efficiently. In an interview with the German news channel “Welt,” a Ukrainian officer highlighted the dimension of these minefields, which went far beyond what they had experienced during their training in Germany.
Russian attacks in the north
The Kyiv Post further reported that the Ukrainian Defense Forces would continue offensive operations in certain areas. This, it said, involved securing reclaimed territories and countering Russian forces. However, Russia had claimed to have made progress in northeastern Ukraine and recaptured a settlement. Malyar stressed that Russian forces would try to direct Ukrainian resources to that area while Ukraine continued its counteroffensive in the south.
Finally, the Kyiv Post pointed out that Ukraine had made significant progress in the past year, recapturing large areas. However, the current entrenched Russian defensive positions would make further advances difficult.
Image: Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Defenceofkyiv, CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons, (no changes made)