Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton told CNN that the Russian troop advance is putting serious pressure on the Ukrainian army and could force it to retreat even further.
“The Russians have a chance to potentially capitalise on the advance they have made in recent weeks. This will be particularly critical in the area of Avdiivka <…>. It could also happen in the area around the city of Kharkiv,” Cedric Leighton said.
The officer pointed out that it is in these directions that creates a difficult situation for Ukrainian units. In such circumstances, the Ukrainian army will be forced to retreat, Leighton explained.
“We are likely to see changes on the territorial map for Ukraine in terms of where the forces are located, where the Ukrainian defence will be and where the front line will be pushed back,” the military officer concluded.
We shall remind you that earlier Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed confidence that Ukraine was “gradually deflating” in the conflict with Russia, while the situation on the battlefield was changing.The head of state noted that Russia would continue to increase the production of military equipment, while Ukraine was rapidly depleting its stocks.