When Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, many felt that it was only a matter of days until the mighty Russian army got the better of the Ukrainian army. It’s been a fortnight now and the endgame is not yet clear.
Ukraine has put up a kind of resistance that was unexpected. From day one, Russia encouraged Ukrainian troops to lay down their arms. While this has not happened, it is the citizens who have voluntarily joined to oppose Russian power.
Russia’s progress has been slow, with the capital city Kyiv in the north and Odessa, a port city in the south, where it can control the Black Sea coast.
no single line of advance
On March 3, with the fall of Kherson, the Russian army hoped to soon take control of Odessa. But, Odessa remains under the control of Ukraine.
Ground troops moved from different directions – north, south and east of Ukraine, attempting several attacks on Kyiv and allowing a link-up for their troops. Not only has progress been sluggish, the Russian army also had to fight in cities such as Kharkiv and Sumy.
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According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), “the failure to focus on any frontline has hindered Russian operations and will likely continue to do so.”
Despite the capture of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Russia has not fully controlled the city.
“The marchers to Zaporizhia currently lack the fighting power needed to besiege or take that large city. However, once reinforcements arrived after the fall of Mariupol and the opening of a wide land route to the west, they would go to Zaporizhzhya. conditions for successful operations against the Donbass,” the ISW said in its assessment.
As the fighting continued, Russia launched an offensive on Irpin, a town about 20 km from Kyiv.
Let’s say Ukraine is ill-prepared
Ukraine’s military may not be a match for Russia in terms of firepower and numbers. But it seems they are ready for such an invasion. Since 2014, after the annexation of Crimea and insurgency in eastern Ukraine, his forces were prepared for a moment like this.
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It is important to note, that all of Ukraine’s military resources are for invasion from Russia only because the country did not face threats from any of its other neighbors, such as Poland, Hungary, Slovakia or Romania, which are part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). is part of. ) of which Ukraine wanted to be a part. It launched an offensive with Russia citing security concerns in its backyard.
household benefits
In this urban battle, the Russians were surprised by the ground strategy of the Ukrainian army. At the beginning of the offensive from the north, Russian tanks began rolling into Ukraine but the movement of armor was slow. Ukraine’s anti-tank weapons have proven themselves and Ukrainians have repeatedly taken to the streets to stop for the Russians.
The Russian army was blinded by sniper fire from the buildings, with two major generals of the Russian army reportedly killed by them.
The odds are still stacked in Russia’s favor when it comes to armored firepower. Russia has an estimated 12,000 tanks, significantly more than Ukraine’s 2,500.
Ukraine also has Soviet-era T-series tanks, which may have played a role as Ukrainian forces are not in a position to attack. The country received its first batch of US-made Javelin anti-tank missiles in 2018. These have proved extremely useful in countering the Russian attack.
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Ukraine was pushing for the delivery of the second batch after facing delays. But it is not clear whether the US provided effective missiles amid the invasion. In addition, Ukraine received anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons from other countries as military aid.
Russian Air Force late in action
The Russian Air Force was pressed into action of late after an initial bombardment of cruise missiles on 24 February. Russia launched an offensive to destroy some military installations, including surface-to-air missile batteries and early ground-based radar systems.
International experts have also questioned why the Russian Air Force was not pressed into action earlier.
While the claims made by Ukraine about Russia’s losses – 11,000 soldiers killed, 46 aircraft, 68 helicopters – may not be accurate, images of damage to military platforms suggest that the Russians may have been fighting a one-sided combat. There has been a tough confrontation.
Russia’s air superiority is no match for Ukraine. It has about 1,500 fighters compared to Ukraine’s 90. In addition, Russia has over 500 helicopters, while Ukraine has about 35.
Ukraine’s strong information war
While Ukraine may have an inferior army compared to Russia, it has won the information battle hands-on. With President Volodymyr Zelensky and several other officials setting the narrative, Russia is up against a wave of information warfare that does not correspond to its agenda.
Ukraine has been quick to provide updates on Russian casualties and losses. Even though they could be countered, it sent a strong message that the Ukrainian army was getting better than the Russians.
On Facebook the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is constantly assessing the attack. “The occupiers plan to intensify aviation to launch missile and bomb attacks on Ukraine’s major cities and industrial infrastructure. To accomplish this goal, aviation units of the Central and Eastern Military Districts of the Republic of Belarus are being transferred to the territory of the U.S.,” read an update on Day 12 of the invasion.
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