The “big” Russian offensive did not achieve the goals that were set by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
As early as December 22, Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff from the Russian Federation, said that the occupiers had concentrated their main efforts on capturing the Donetsk region. But only at the beginning of February 2023, the Russians launched a winter offensive operation on the Kupyansk-Svatovo-Kremennaya-Liman line. And Andrey Yusov, a Ukrainian intelligence spokesman, said that Gerasimov had not achieved the goals set by Putin to capture the Donbas by March 31. This is stated in a new report by the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Analysts noted that Russian milbloggers are concerned that the occupiers must complete their offensive operations in Bakhmut and Avdiivka in order to prepare for a Ukrainian counteroffensive. Propagandists are frustrated by the lack of decisive battles in the winter and by the fact that Russia is not capable of staging an offensive operation.
Russia lacks the combat power needed to support more than one major offensive in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and ongoing mobilization campaigns in Russia and the occupied territories may indicate that Moscow is preparing for a shortage of reserves, the ISW stressed.
Recall that the pace of advancement of the occupiers in the Bakhmut area is declining. Russian attacks slowed down here, and the Defense Forces averted an imminent threat to the encirclement of the city. Previously, the enemy could carry out simultaneous attacks in all directions in the Bakhmut area, but now these possibilities are reduced.
Source: Racurs
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