By Sydney Dalske
Recently, there have been some major updates concerning the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war that some may not be aware of. A key Ukrainian city, Kharkiv, has been put in a tough situation as Russia made its largest territorial advances within the last 18 months. Last week, there was a surprise ground assault when Russian forces crossed into the Kharkiv region from multiple different locations.
Moscow has been able to seize 278 square km of land of Ukrainian territory between the days of May 9th through the 15th. This gain is Russia’s largest from a single operation since December of 2022.
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, acknowledged the difficult fighting going on while on a visit to a city 18 miles from the Russian border. He has also stated that the situation is “under control” saying that the Ukrainian forces are “inflicting significant losses on the occupier”. The Kharkiv regional governor has also reported attempts to stabilize their frontline and halt Russia’s progression.
Some analysts believe that this may be an attempt to force Ukrainian troops away from other frontline areas, since these attacks have stretched Kyiv’s ammunition and manpower thin. Despite this, a NATO commander has expressed the belief that Ukraine will be able to “hold the line” and US General Cavoli stating that Russia too also lacks sufficient forces to push the breakthrough further.
This attack has happened just ahead of Russia’s President Vladmir Putin’s visit with China and a possible ‘political solution’ to what he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping has called the “Ukrainian Crisis”.
The fighting has no clear end in sight and there are serious concerns over Ukraine’s ability to sustain its defense. Without lots of fresh western military aid, the war’s outcome could have implications for future European security.
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