Whatever the outcome of the counteroffensive, it could be pivotal for how the war ends. Russia may be able to cope with attritional fighting better than Ukraine. The Russian army is significantly bigger than Ukraine’s, and with Putin isolated by the conflict he does not have to worry that a long, grinding conflict will lose him allies. While Russia has been pushed back since launching its invasion, it still has some advantages. Kyiv will want as strong a hand as possible should peace negotiations ever happen or if the so-far solid support it enjoys among the West start to fray. The clock is ticking for Ukraine, with the fall bringing worsening weather and even more challenging fighting conditions.įor political as well as strategic reasons, pressure is mounting on Ukraine to achieve a breakthrough. Keeping troops here will keep them from other areas along the frontline. Russia’s goal here is to wear out Ukraine. Success means capturing a village rather than an entire city. The current fighting is focused on Ukraine’s south and east, with Ukrainian forces struggling to break through defensive lines Russia had months to prepare. This year has been different, with troops from both sides bogged down in a slow-moving conflict with no clear end in sight. After seeing Putin quickly withdraw his forces from around Kyiv and elsewhere in northern Ukraine, the rest of the year saw significant victories for Ukraine in the Kharkiv region to the east and the Kherson region to the south. Those goals floundered due to a combination of Russian hubris and stronger than expected Ukrainian resistance.
When Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, it hoped to sweep across the country and topple the government in a matter of days. While Ukraine has struggled in its counteroffensive, it is important to remember the war is nowhere near where Russia’s President Vladimir Putin wanted it to be either. While it is impossible to get an exact, real-time picture of the situation on the ground, CNN has been taking a look at the key battles of the latest phase of the war. As Ukrainian forces probe for vulnerabilities in Russian defences, Moscow too is seeking to make gains, and has been trying to advance toward the city of Kupiansk, a city it seized early on in the war before losing it a year ago. But while there is a renewed sense of optimism, gains have been marginal and won at great cost. Kyiv launched the campaign aiming to recapture Russian-seized territory, especially in the south. Ukraine’s counteroffensive has been underway for months, but the country’s hopes of a rapid and decisive breakthrough have long faded. Seeking a breakthrough A visual guide to Ukraine’s counteroffensiveīy Lou Robinson, Sophie Tanno, Tim Lister and Byron Manley, CNN
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