A new Russian offensive has begun in the Kharkiv region.
The offensive has been launched with around 100,000 soldiers and 900 tanks.
“Trying to force Ukraine to regroup troops.”
At the same time that Ukraine has a counter-offensive on the southern front, Russia has now started a new offensive in the Kharkiv region.
– They have started an offensive movement, but the question is how far they will go. There are fierce battles and on the Ukrainian side they are on the defensive, says Joakim Paasikivi, lieutenant colonel at the Defense Academy.
Joakim Paasikivi does not believe that Russia will be able to make a major breakthrough. However, they can manage to achieve local success in the region.
– The Russian goal is to put pressure on Ukrainian forces to try to force Ukraine to regroup units from other areas, he says and continues:
– But Ukraine has the opportunity to withstand the offensive without having to take forces from the southern front. This will be managed by forces that are already in the area.
100,000 soldiers
According to Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesman for Ukraine’s Eastern Military Command, the Russian offensive has been launched with 100,000 soldiers, 900 tanks and 555 artillery systems, reports Politico.
– It is not about 100,000 soldiers who are on their way forward. Barely a third of them are front-line soldiers, the rest are support and logistics, says Paasikivi.
The offensive targets the city of Kupiansk, which was a crucial logistics hub and supply route for Russian forces. This was until Ukraine managed to regain control of the city during its counteroffensive last fall.
“For two days in a row, the enemy has been actively on the offensive against Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region,” Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar wrote on Telegram, reports Reuters.
“We are defending. Fierce fighting is going on and the positions of both sides are changing dynamically several times a day.”
– From both respective sides, they try to strengthen their connections and move forward. It’s about small areas that change hands, says Joakim Paasikivi.