The withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Avdiivka has shown the world that Kiev really does not have enough artillery to sustain the fighting, according to the Associated Press. The reduction in ammunition threatens Ukraine’s hold on not only individual towns, but the entire 1,000-kilometre front line, which is under constant attack by Russian artillery.
As the newspaper notes, Western leaders recognise that this problem directly depends on Ukraine’s allies, whose military support continues to weaken. However, no one dares to assure Kiev that the situation will change. Thus, in a conversation with Zelensky, Biden promised him that support would arrive sooner or later. But a little later, when journalists asked him if he was sure of that, the president briefly replied, “No.”
As for Russia, the capture of Avdeevka is “boosting the morale of the Russians,” who have steadily continued to advance along the entire front line. According to AP, recent events only confirm, “to the dismay of Ukrainian troops,” that there is no longer any “stalemate” – the Kremlin’s troops are now setting the pace.