Why it matters: Russia launched a major offensive in Donbas last month that both sides have described as a decisive “second phase” of the war. Two weeks later, the United States believes that Russian forces are “behind schedule” and are facing many of the same problems that forced them to withdraw from Kyiv. Leading the news: The U.S. official described the Russian operation in Donbass as “very cautious, very lukewarm, very uneven,” attributing some of the failures to “an aversion to danger and accidents” that continued both in the air and in the air. terrain.
“They will move [to an area]”They declare victory and then withdraw their troops, only to let the Ukrainians take it back,” the official said. The official also said that a high-ranking Russian army general, Valery Gerasimov, had visited Donbass for “several days” last week, but the United States could not confirm Ukrainian reports that he had been wounded.
In addition to the problems in Donbas, Russian forces have been pushed 25 miles east of Kharkov – Ukraine’s second largest city – for the past 24-48 hours, the official said.
Kharkiv is located just 25 miles south of the Russian border and close to Donbass, but remains firmly under Ukrainian control despite heavy 68-day bombardment. The official described Ukraine’s counterattack in Kharkov as “an incredible effort” that denied Russian forces the ability to push south and connect with other units trying to encircle Ukrainian troops in Donbas.
Reduction: 14 flights carrying US military aid to Ukraine have landed in the region in the last 24 hours, with 11 more expected in the next 24 hours, the official said.
By the end of the day, about 200 Ukrainian soldiers will have been trained at locations in Europe on how to use the artillery shell systems approved in recent US military aid packages. 20 Ukrainian soldiers have also been trained in the US Air Force-developed Phoenix Ghost drones specifically for Ukrainian requirements, the official said.
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