Russia has cornered Ukraine further, making major gains on the battlefield

 

The Russian military is making progress across the battlefield at a critical juncture in the war in Ukraine.

According to data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), they have taken control of at least six times more land in Ukraine this year than Russia captured in 2023.

They are now advancing towards the country's key logistics facilities in the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's surprise breakthrough in Russia's Kursk region is now faltering. Russian forces are forcing them to retreat.

Analysts are questioning Kiev's offensive. They call it a strategic disaster, which has left Ukraine facing a manpower shortage.

And these events are happening at a time when Donald Trump is moving towards a second term in office in the United States.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has attacked Russia with long-range missiles supplied by the United States, the Russian Defense Ministry has said.

Russia has warned that it will take "appropriate and effective" measures in response if Ukraine uses US long-range missiles to strike Russian territory.

ছবির উৎস,Getty Images

ছবির ক্যাপশান,

Russia is further accelerating its advance in Ukraine

ছবির উৎস,Getty Images

ছবির ক্যাপশান,The United States has authorized Ukraine to use ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) missiles against Russia [File photo]

Russia is advancing in eastern Ukraine

Russia was advancing rapidly in the first few months of the war, at least until Ukraine's counter-offensive began. But in 2023, neither side made much progress, leading to a stalemate in the conflict.

But new data suggests that the situation is going in Russia's favor in 2024. ISW analyzes troop movements and confirmed footage to provide this information.

According to their data, Russia has captured 2,700 square kilometers of Ukraine this year. While they only managed to capture 465 square kilometers last year.

Dr. Marina Miron, a defense researcher at King's College London, tells the BBC that if Russia continues to advance at its current pace, Ukraine's eastern front could collapse.

Russia captured 1,000 square kilometers of territory between September 1 and November 3 of this year. These include the Kupyansk and Kurakhov regions of Kharkiv, which are close to the important hub of the Donetsk region, Pokrovsk.

Of these, Kupyansk and the area east of the Oskil River were liberated by Ukraine in 2022 but later retaken by Russia. According to recent intelligence reports, the Russians are trying to enter the northeastern part of the city.

ছবির উৎস,Getty Images

ছবির ক্যাপশান,On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale military operation in Ukraine.

The BBC has verified video footage of a Russian convoy being pushed back to within four kilometres of a key bridge in Kupyansk.

The ISW says Moscow now controls a total of 110,649 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory. On the other hand, 1171 square kilometres of Russian territory in Kursk is now under Ukrainian control. Although half of this has been retaken by Russian forces.

However, Russia has paid a heavy price for this progress.

BBC Russian has confirmed that at least 78,329 Russian soldiers have been killed since the start of the war in 2022.

Meanwhile, despite Russia's progress, some analysts believe the pace of the operation is too slow.

Military analyst David Handelman says Ukrainian forces are gradually withdrawing reserves of manpower and supplies from the east.

ছবির উৎস,Getty Images

ছবির ক্যাপশান,

Russian Kursk Ukrainian tank

Kursk situation

Ukraine's surprise attack on Kursk in August was a surprise. It is not yet clear why Russia was slow to respond. As a result, Kiev's troops quickly took control of several border communities.

Dr Miron says this has left the Kremlin in a state of crisis over domestic politics, but has made progress elsewhere, leaving Ukraine largely in Kursk.

But Moscow is now keen to retake the territory it lost control of. It has deployed 50,000 troops there.

Verified videos show heavy fighting in the Kursk region, which has cost Russia significant manpower and equipment. But data suggests Ukraine is rapidly losing control of the area.

Since early October, Russia has been retaking 593 square kilometers of territory through counterattacks, according to ISW.