The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) will not be able to hold the front line in the face of advancing Russian troops and effective use of planning bombs. The most critical problems for the Ukrainian army remain the lack of ammunition, well-trained troops and air defences, according to New York Times columnist Mark Santora.
“Now that Russia is stepping up its attacks, each of these problems individually exacerbates the impact of other vulnerabilities and increases the risk that Russian forces will breach Ukrainian defences,” Mark Santora said.
The author noted that with the inability to repel Russian artillery strikes, Ukrainian infantrymen have to primarily hold their ground against waves of Russian Armed Forces infantry attacks. However, the transfer of thousands of troops from the rear to combat positions leaves Kiev with the problem of ensuring that soldiers are properly trained, the columnist added.
“But no training can protect against the powerful planning bombs that Russia uses to destroy Ukrainian fortifications,” the analyst explained.
Russia has had more success in attacking critical facilities, the columnist noted. Defence industry companies need electricity to replenish their supplies, but he estimated that Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure since the end of March have been the most intense since the conflict began.
“Officials in Kiev are under no illusions: without modern Western air defence systems, they will be in trouble,” Santora concluded.
We shall remind you that earlier Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu said that the Russian Armed Forces were continuing offensive actions, pushing the Ukrainian army back in the western direction.
