Kyiv's counteroffensive has gotten off to a quiet start but Kyiv is pursuing a strategy in which it is testing Russia's defenses.
"It is no surprise that Ukraine is being cautious," Nick Reynolds, research fellow for land warfare at the London-based defense and security think tank RUSI, told CNBC Thursday.
"The Russian side has been anticipating such an offensive for months and set up multi-layered and well-equipped defensive lines in the area," he said., including miles of trenches, anti-tank ditches, dragons' teeth designed to block the path of military vehicles and other fortifications, predominantly located along the front line spanning from Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine to the Donbas in the east.
Nonetheless, Ukraine's deputy defense minister conceded Wednesday that the fighting was "extremely fierce" and that the counteroffensive had only had "partial success" so far. CNBC contacted Ukraine's defense ministry for further comment and is awaiting a response. U.S. State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller said Tuesday that the White House would not comment on "twists and turns of the counteroffensive or battlefield updates on what is obviously a very active and ongoing situation. We'll leave that to the Ukrainian military to speak to."
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Russia steps up aerial strikes on Ukraine, killing at least 6 amid Kyiv counteroffensiveRussian forces fired cruise missiles at the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa overnight and shelling destroyed homes in the eastern Donetsk region early Wednesday, killing at least six people and injuring more than a dozen others, regional officials said.
Read more »
'Keep fighting': Ukrainian soldiers continue battle with Russia despite low moraleKYIV, Ukraine — The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has left many Ukrainian soldiers feeling war weary but unwilling or unable to give up the fight.
Read more »
Putin says West torpedoed 2022 Russia-Ukraine peace talksMoscow is still open to resuming talks, says President Vladimir Putin, arguing fighting would end immediately if US and NATO stop supplying weapons to Kiev.
Read more »
Ukraine counteroffensive against Russia 'making advances,' NATO leader saysPresident Biden met with the secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Jens Stoltenberg, on Tuesday at the White House.
Read more »
We Must Work for a Ukraine-Russia Cease-Fire ASAPIf history is our guide, negotiations for peace will take weeks, months, or perhaps years just to get Ukraine and its allies to agree on a negotiating strategy.
Read more »