In the context that Russia is planning to launch a new offensive in eastern Ukraine, the US and its allies skeptical that Russia has accumulated manpower and resources to make significant achievements, according to US, British and Ukrainian officials..
A senior US military official told CNN: “It seems more ambitious than realistic.
“Meat grinder:” Russia has been increasing the number of forces stationed on its borders and inside Russian-held territory in Ukraine, some of which were drawn from a local mobilization order last September. Despite the increased numbers, the Western Allies have seen no evidence of sufficient changes to the ability of those forces to carry out the combined armed operations necessary to capture and hold territory. new land.
A senior British official told CNN: “The Russian forces are unlikely to be particularly well organized and it is unlikely that they will be particularly successful, although they appear willing to send more troops into the mill. meat”.
Even the head of Russia’s private military company Wagner warned on Tuesday that capturing the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut how long until it happens?.
Yevgeniy Prigozhin said in a statement broadcast on Wagner’s Telegram channel: “Bakhmut will not be occupied tomorrow, because of strong resistance and abrasion, the meat grinder is working. “In order for the meat grinder to work properly, it is not possible to suddenly start a party. There won’t be any festivals anytime soon.”
The US military has assessed that it will take a long time until May for the Russian military to regenerate enough strength for a prolonged offensive, but Russian leaders want to act sooner. The US now thinks it’s likely that Russian forces are moving before they are ready due to political pressure from the Kremlin, a senior US military official told CNN.
Although Ukrainian officials have sounded the alarm about new Russian attacks in the east, the Ukrainian side also has skepticism about Russia’s capabilities as those forces now stand.
“They mustered enough manpower to take one or two small cities in the Donbas, but that’s all,” a senior Ukrainian diplomat told CNN. “It’s overwhelming, compared to the sense of panic they’re trying to create in Ukraine.”
There’s also no sign of any major air attacks pending. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday that the US did not see Russia “focus its planes” before an air campaign against Ukraine.
