Tag: counter-offensive

Russian Military Goals Unaffected by Outcome of NATO Summit: Moscow

The outcome of this week’s NATO summit in Lithuania has not affected Russia’s military objectives as they pertain to Ukraine, according to Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of the Russian Security Council. “The special military operation will continue with its goals unchanged,” Mr. Medvedev, who has previously served as both Russia’s president and prime minister, said…


1 Month On, Kyiv’s Counter-Attack No ‘Easy Walkover,’ Western Officials Admit

Almost one month since Kyiv launched a long-awaited counter-offensive aimed at retaking Russian-held territory, Ukrainian forces have yet to register significant gains, according to both Western and Ukrainian officials. “The counter-offensive … is difficult,” Admiral Rob Bauer, a Dutch naval officer who also serves as chairman of NATO’s military committee, said on July 3. “People…


Ukraine Reports Limited Gains; Moscow Claims Kyiv’s Offensive Has Stalled

Two weeks after the de facto launch of a long-awaited Ukrainian counter-offensive, both sides are claiming battlefield victories in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. Kyiv claims its forces have successfully penetrated several miles beyond Russian defense lines and have retaken several strategic positions. Moscow, for its part, says Kyiv’s counter-attack has been stopped in its…


Ukraine and Russia Blame Each Other for Partly Destroying Vital Dnipro River Dam

Moscow and Kyiv are trading blame over the partial destruction of a hydroelectric dam on the Dnipro River, which has separated the warring sides since last November. The dam was breached on the morning of June 6, causing widespread flooding in the Kherson region and prompting fears of a humanitarian catastrophe. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy…


Kyiv Downplays Russian Claims to Have Foiled Major Offensive in Donetsk

Moscow’s forces have beaten back a multi-pronged Ukrainian offensive launched in the eastern Donetsk region, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed on June 5. “On June 4, the enemy made an unsuccessful attempt at a large-scale offensive in the South Donetsk direction,” the ministry stated in a daily briefing. It went on to assert that a…


Russian Sources Report ‘Massive’ Ukrainian Troop Movements Near Frontline

Ukrainian forces appear to be gearing up for a long-anticipated counter-offensive aimed at retaking territories captured earlier by Russia, according to sources from both sides of the conflict. On April 28, Russian reports from the field suggested that Ukraine was amassing troops and equipment along several parts of the 680-mile-long frontline.  Yuri Barbashov, a Moscow-appointed…


Ukrainian Counter-Offensive Activities Reported in Kherson, Donetsk

Ukrainian forces are staging regular attacks on the Russian-held eastern bank of the Dnipro River in the Kherson region, according to a top Ukrainian regional official. “Our military visit the left [eastern] bank very often, conducting raids,” Yuriy Sobolevskiy, deputy head of Kherson’s Kyiv-appointed regional administration, said in televised comments on April 25. “The Ukrainian…


With Spring Offensive in Doubt, Ukrainian Forces Yield Ground in Bakhmut

Ukrainian forces are pulling back from parts of the flashpoint city of Bakhmut amid indications that Kyiv’s planned spring offensive may fail to materialize–at least in the short term. Located in the eastern Donetsk region, Bakhmut (Artyomovsk in Russian) has remained the scene of fierce ground fighting for the past several months.  According to an…


Anticipated Ukrainian Counter-Offensive Potentially Marred by Plans Leak: Reports

Several classified documents detailing United States and NATO plans to assist an upcoming Ukrainian counter-offensive appear to have been leaked online, according to mainstream media reports. On April 6, the New York Times reported that the documents—which contain sensitive military information—had been posted on Twitter and Telegram and were now being shared on pro-Russia social…