Planning “spectacular” offensive
Since the Russian invasion on February 24, many lives have been lost.
British intelligence estimates that around 15,000 Russian soldiers have been killed during the war, while Ukrainian authorities claim that the number is closer to 39,000.
In addition, several million Ukrainians have fled their homeland, reports say United Nations.
The war now appears to be at a standstill, with neither side making any significant progress. But that does not mean that hard battles are not fought.
– It is not quiet at the front lines. This is where the intensive war takes place, where a lot of ammunition is used, says military analyst at the Danish Defense Academy, Anders Puck Nielsen.
Planning “spectacular” offensive
According to Nielsen, Russia announced at the beginning of July that they were to take an “operational break”.
But it is not clear whether Russia has now ended the break or not.
The most interesting thing to follow now is what is happening in the south of the country, says Nielsen to TV 2.
– Ukraine has announced that they are planning a spectacular offensive. They want to regain lost territories, and there are indications that Ukraine has launched this offensive in the south of the country.
The indications Nielsen points to are the bombing of bridges over the river Dnieper in Kherson. These are bridges that were used to supply Russian forces in the city. The major port city of Kherson is the gateway for shipping to the rest of the country along the Dnieper River, and fell to Russian forces early in the invasion.
– We can say that the Kherson region will definitely be liberated by September, and all the plans of the occupier will fail, said Serhij Khlan, adviser to the Kherson governor, in an interview with Ukrainian TV on Sunday.
«Practical example» in Russian media
If Ukraina wins back Kherson, it will be a defeat for Russia, according to Nielsen.
– It will be the first time Russia has to admit defeat since March. It can get complicated for Russia, he says.
Especially since Russia has mentioned the city of Kherson a lot in the media.
– Russian media have referred to Kherson as a prime example of a Russian controlled by. It is quite unpredictable how Russia will react to that loser city, he says.
Arms delivery decision
Ukraine is in the process of rearming the military. This rearmament depends on a further supply of weapons from the West.
– Russia is still a strong military power that is pushing, but they have a serious problem with getting enough soldiers. Both sides are losing equipment and soldiers, so we just have to wait and see who holds out the longest, says Nielsen.
The supply of weapons from the West can help change the dynamics of a way in which the countries wage war. Missile systems sent from the US have enabled Ukraine to hit targets from longer ranges.
The rocket system has a range of up to 80 kilometers. With this, Ukrainian forces can hit targets at long range.