Russia’s spring offensive appears to be sputtering out, says ISW
A Ukrainian tank fires at Russian positions near Kreminna, Luhansk, in January. Kreminna is one of several areas where Russian troops have “failed to make more than incremental tactical gains,” according to ISW.
Anatolii Stepanov | AFP | Getty Images
Russia’s much-anticipated spring offensive against Ukraine has likely reached its high-water mark, leaving Ukraine’s defenders “well positioned to regain the initiative and launch counteroffensives,” according to research released late Sunday.
The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said in a new assessment that Russia’s 2023 attacks have yielded few gains and left Moscow planners desperate to reconstitute hard-hit military units.
The failures have come about despite the 300,000 soldiers mobilized by Russia late last year explicitly for the spring offensive.
“If 300,000 Russian soldiers have been unable to give Russia a decisive offensive edge in Ukraine it is highly unlikely that the commitment of additional forces in future mobilization waves will produce a dramatically different outcome this year,” the research said.
CNBC is unable to independently verify ISW’s assessment, though it aligns with others’ analysis including that of Ukrainian commanders. Russia’s Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment.
ISW is a research firm whose board members are mostly retired U.S. military personnel, diplomats and political leaders.
—Ted Kemp
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Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have praised each other’s leadership and their countries’ alliance as a three-day state visit by Xi to Moscow begins Monday.
Lauding Russia-China relations in an article released by several Russian and Chinese news agencies ahead of the visit, Xi said “both countries uphold an independent foreign policy and see our relationship as a high priority in…
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