It’s been months since Russia launched a full-scale offensive in Eastern Ukraine. Right now, the heat of the battle is happening in that part of the country. Russia has three main goals for the east:
- Establishing a corridor to Crimea
- Capturing all of the Donbas regions
- Destroying the Ukrainian Armed Forces
Russia continues to be on the offensive. In comparison, Ukraine is doing its best to defend itself from further attacks.
During the first week of June, Ukraine announced that they had reclaimed a portion of the city of Sievierodonetsk from Russia. However, both sides still have a long way to go before they see things through…
Ukraine Struggles to Defend the East Due to Lack of Weaponry
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy admitted on Newsmax that they’re having a hard time fighting in the east. He said, “The most difficult situation is in the east of Ukraine and southern Donetsk and Luhansk.”
He also said that his country is losing soldiers daily. He added, “The situation is very difficult. We’re losing 60-100 soldiers per day as killed in action. Around 500 people were wounded in action.”
Zelensky also mentioned that the situation in the east is challenging because they lack weapons. The president said, “In the east, it is difficult for us because of the lack of appropriate weapons.”
Then, the Ukrainian president announced they plan to reclaim all areas that legally belong to Ukraine. He also clarified that he wouldn’t rush this at the expense of the Ukrainians’ lives. Zelenskyy said, “If our steps or operations to de-occupy this or that region cost tens of thousands of [Ukrainian lives]… we will wait for appropriate weapons to save as many of our people as possible. These territories without living Ukrainians are not a priority for us.”
Russia Has the Upper Hand But Uses Too Many Resources
Russia claims to have the upper hand in Eastern Ukraine… because they have taken 97% of the Donbas region. Some analysts even projected that Russian forces could take full control within the next few weeks.
However, Russia’s gains come at a high cost of sustained manpower and equipment levels. The Institute for the Study of War called the Russian progress “costly.” The war has also been putting a strain on Russia’s budget.
But despite all this, Russia continues to go on the offensive…
Russia’s Defense Ministry said that its missiles had destroyed many Ukrainian weapons and equipment in the east. This includes some that the US and Europe had sent.
The ministry said that a high-precision air-based missile had struck near the Udachne railway station. It was able to hit the equipment that was delivered to Ukrainian forces.
Ukraine officials continue to plead to the West to send more weapons. The Russian military may have the upper hand right now. However, they also have a lot of weaknesses. They may have firepower… but this is negated by organizational and logistical issues.
If Ukraine’s allies can give them enough weaponry to fight the Russians, there’s a chance for their bravery to prevail.
