Putin’s troops have lost territory larger than Switzerland
But officially “everything is going according to plan”
Putin’s troops are losing territory the size of Denmark
Russia has suffered several setbacks in Ukraine in recent months. Researchers have now determined how much territory Putin’s troops have lost.
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When Russia invaded Ukraine, initial territorial gains were enormous.
When Russia attacked Ukraine on February 24, the whole world was shocked. Putin’s army used the momentum to make large territorial gains in the south. The invasion only faltered in Kyiv. But since then things have gone the other way.
Since March 21 — the estimated date of the deepest advance in Ukraine — the Russian military has lost nearly 45,000 square kilometers of territory, think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports. It’s about the size of Denmark.
However, the report does not mention how much territory the Russians have gained since the invasion began. Instead, a comparative figure is given that shows that the Russians are currently making little progress: Since July 16 – before a short break in the war – the Russians have gained only 450.84 square kilometers. This corresponds to the size of the dwarf state of Andorra. In other words, the Russians have regained only 1 percent of the territory lost since March 21 in the past 40 days.
Shoigu defends strategy
“As already noted by the ISW, the Russian armed forces are unable to translate limited strategic advantages into major operational successes,” the institute concluded. Also, his offensive would peak in eastern Ukraine.
The Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (67) also commented on the advance of his troops. On Wednesday, he said offensive operations had been slowed to minimize civilian casualties. In the meantime, activities in Ukraine will continue as planned and all goals will be met.
ISW believes Shoigu’s interpretation is an attempt to whitewash the loss of the field. (from)