Could Russia break through in Sumy region? The Telegraph evaluates chances
Photo: The Telegraph assessed the occupiers' chances of making a breakthrough in the Sumy region (Getty Images)
Russia’s biggest chance for a breakthrough may be in the Sumy region, according to experts who assessed the likelihood of success for the occupiers, The Telegraph informs.
According to experts interviewed by the publication, Russia’s best chance for a breakthrough could be in the Sumy region, as Ukrainian forces are retreating to this area following their advance in the Kursk region.
Will Russia succeed if a breakthrough occurs?
John Hardy, deputy director of the Russian Program at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, stated that Russian operations are currently very limited in scope, with attacks being carried out by small assault groups. Battalion-level attacks, with around 100 soldiers, are rare.
Despite their small scale, these attacks are still mostly carried out by infantry without support from vehicles due to their shortage.
An increase in the scale of the attacks is unlikely to lead to any significant results for Russia.
“What we’re seeing is just a surge in assault tempo … It’s very small scale. They can chop a hole in the Ukrainian line, but they’re not able to punch through that hole and achieve a rapid, operational, significant breakthrough,” said Hardy.
Russia’s losses in military equipment in Ukraine
According to estimates cited by The Telegraph, Russia has lost 3,000 tanks and 9,000 armored vehicles over the past year, and at least 13,000 artillery systems have been destroyed.
“If you look at what’s left in storage, especially what’s serviceable, the stocks are getting pretty low. I expect by the end of this year, they’ll be really struggling to pull more, if not that, then they’ll be completely exhausted,” Hardy said.
Russia’s activity in the Sumy region
On April 9, it was reported that Russia has effectively already launched an offensive on the Sumy and Kharkiv regions. According to Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi, the number of battles along all major fronts has increased.
Currently, Ukrainian forces are preparing for the possibility that Russia could intensify its offensive actions in most sectors of the front by late spring or early summer.
To learn more about Russia’s new offensive and the forces the occupiers may deploy, read the full article by RBC-Ukraine.
