Russian army seeks to take initiative on battlefield before Russian elections in March, - ISW
The Russian invaders intensified their offensive in several areas of the front despite difficult weather conditions. They seek to seize and hold the initiative until the presidential elections in Russia in March 2024.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) writes about this, Censor.NET informs.
"Currently, Russian troops are conducting offensive operations along most of the front line in Ukraine, especially along the border of Kharkiv and Luhansk regions, in the Bakhmut area, and the direction of Avdiivka. They are also conducting continuous ground attacks in the western part of Zaporizhzhia region," the post reads.
Analysts note that this pace of hostilities on the entire front line in Ukraine is generally consistent with ISW's assessment that Russian forces have been trying to regain the initiative on the battlefield since at least mid-November 2023.
"Official statements by the Ukrainian military indicate that Russian forces managed to seize the initiative on the border of Kharkiv and Luhansk regions, in the Bakhmut region and along the Avdiivka-Donetsk axis, while Ukrainian forces retain the initiative in key areas in the south, as evidenced by ongoing Ukrainian counterattacks in the west of the Zaporizhzhia region and a stable Ukrainian presence on the eastern shore of the Kherson region," ISW adds.
The fact that the occupiers tried to seize the initiative and conduct offensive operations in early-mid November 2023, under the most difficult weather conditions, rather than waiting for severe frosts, shows that they are under pressure.
\Notably, Russian forces have made a concerted effort to regain the initiative on the battlefield during the worst weather conditions, confirming ISW's longstanding assessment that bad weather can slow but not stop combat operations.
