5mo ago

Russian Forces Depleted and Stalling on Eastern Front, Ukraine Says

www.nytimes.com

Author: Marc Santora
\ Published on: 10/03/2025 | 00:00:00

AI Summary:
\ Russian Forces Depleted and Stalling on Eastern Front, Ukraine Says The front line inside Ukraine has become more static, Ukrainian soldiers say. Ukrainian forces have stalled the Russian offensive in the eastern Donetsk region in recent months and have started to win back small patches of land. Russian brigades have been depleted and Moscow is struggling to replace destroyed equipment. Ukrainian soldiers cautioned that they expect the Russians to regroup and intensify offensive efforts to take advantage of the sudden suspension of American military assistance and intelligence sharing. The pause in intelligence is expected to be among the topics Ukrainian and American officials will discuss this week. Ukrainian soldiers said the lack of intelligence was especially problematic in the Kursk region of Russia. The soldiers requested anonymity to discuss sensitive operations. A senior U.S. Military official said the pause on sharing intelligence had hurt Ukraine’s ability to detect and attack Russian forces in Kursk. American officials have said the suspension would stay in effect until the Ukrainians bend to unspecified White House demands. Many of the war’s hardest fought battles continue to be concentrated along the 260-mile front in the Donbas region, which includes Donetsk. Deputy battalion commander in the 68th Jaeger Brigade describes one operation last month to retake part of Dachenske, a village south of Pokrovsk. Major Taras says the Russians are "regrouping their forces, replenishing losses and redeploying units from other directions" Ukrainians have been advancing in parts of Toretsk in localized counterattacks and furious clashes. The Russian entry into the city in August came at a moment when Ukrainian forces were struggling across the eastern front. Critical shortages of troops and ammunition — made worse by a six-month delay in American assistance as well as organizational issues — resulted in Russia’s seizing 1,600 square miles of Ukrainian territory in 2024. The Russians have released video showing how they have covered the road to the town. Chasiv Yar serves as a buffer holding Russian forces back from a direct assault on Kostiantynivka and other cities still under Kyiv’s control in the Donetsk region.