The Ukrainian counter-offensive continues with no signs of slowing down.
Now Russia is reported to be moving several of its units.
– The longer Ukraine holds this territory, the more embarrassing it will be for the Russian leadership, says Oscar Jonsson, PhD in Russian warfare at the Norwegian Defense Academy.
The Ukrainian counter-offensive was launched on Tuesday and is described as the largest since the outbreak of full-scale war in February 2022.
It is aimed at the city of Kursk in southwestern Russia, and on Friday it was reported that Ukraine had reached approximately 35 kilometers into Russian territory.
They have also struck with drones against the Russian city of Lipetsk, which is even further inland.
Reorganizes bandages
Oscar Jonsson is a doctor in Russian warfare at the Norwegian Defense Academy, and talks about how the situation looks right now, in Nyhetsmorgon.
– The latest is that the Ukrainian operation continues. There are no signs of slowing down. There are various reports that Russia is reorganizing units along the southern front line in particular, he says in the program.
– It is very early and difficult to draw big conclusions, but right now Ukraine is staying until Russia has concentrated large enough troops to drive them out.
“Embarrassing for Russia”
He says that it is still too early to determine exactly what Ukraine wants to achieve with the counter-offensive, but that one reason is probably to strengthen its own morale – and at the same time lower the Russian one.
– And then from a purely military point of view, it’s about trying to get Russia to redistribute units. They saw a gap at the border where there were weak defense troops and now they are being forced to redistribute from other places that can be used at a later time, says Oscar Jonsson.
– Every day that passes here, it becomes more embarrassing for the Russian side.
Putin furious
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called the surprising Ukrainian counter-offensive a “large-scale provocation”.
He has not commented on the actions of the Russian defense, but according to Kremlin sources, he will The Moscow Times be furious at the development.
– Putin was in a bad mood. He probably hasn’t been like this since we were forced to retreat from Kherson in the fall of 2022, a source told the site.