Russians are losing initiative in Donetsk region. This could have global political consequences, - Forbes
Recently, Ukrainian troops using artillery and UAVs defeated Russian troops attempting to attack near the town of Ulakly in Donetsk region and its surroundings. The defenders eliminated about a dozen pieces of enemy equipment.
According to Censor.NET, citing ZN.ua, Forbes analyst David Axe wrote about this.
The expert notes that this unsuccessful assault by the occupiers, along with several others that have taken place in recent days, probably signals the failure of the Russian offensive in the south of the region and has global political implications.
"Two weeks ago, the Russian troops had the initiative in this area, as they had driven the Defence Forces out of Velyka Novosilka and had a chance to break through to the border with Zaporizhzhia region. But now this is unlikely. Due to the lack of troops and equipment, Russia is forced to prioritise its defence," the article says.
The Centre for Defence Strategies agrees that Russia is unable to break through to Zaporizhzhia or Dnipropetrovsk regions due to a lack of troops, means and resources. Therefore, they conclude that "the plan to collapse the southern Ukrainian front and advance toward Zaporizhzhia is unfeasible."
It is worth noting that all these developments are taking place at a time when the Kremlin should be in its strongest position ahead of potential peace talks. However, the Russian Federation is not winning on the battlefield, Axe emphasises: where the enemy does manage to advance, successes are measured in metres and are often achieved at the cost of losing entire companies of infantry.
"The Russian military has objectively failed. And they do not have the strength to ever recover from the degree to which they have failed. Russia cannot win this war on a battlefield," said analyst Andrew Perpetua.
In addition, Perpetua is convinced that Ukraine has enough money to finance its army through 2025 and part of 2026. If our country gets help from allied countries, the Armed Forces will be able to fight without any problems this year.
"So Zelenskyy can afford to politely say no to Trump while his troops continue to kill and maim hundreds of Russians every day. Zelensky can wait for peace terms that are actually good for Ukraine," concludes Axe, calling it leverage over the American president, who wants to be called the man who brought peace to Ukraine.
To recap, Zelenskyy said that the United States wanted to please Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
