The Russian defence line has made each attack by the Ukrainian armed forces “extremely costly”. According to the publication, Ukraine has made minimal progress in the counteroffensive, a development that could weaken Western support.
“The offensive faces vast minefields and hundreds of miles of fortifications – trenches, anti-tank ditches and concrete barriers that Russia built last winter to slow Ukrainian vehicles and push them into positions where they would be easier to target,” the piece said. The goal is for the Russian Armed Forces to destroy as much Western equipment as possible.
The front line, according to The New York Times, remains virtually unchanged after several months of fighting. But correspondents note that “Russia has taken a bit more ground overall, mostly in the northeast.”