In recent weeks, Russian troops have seized the initiative along much of the eastern front in Ukraine and have made small territorial gains, the New York Times writes.
“Russia's recent offensives near Avdiivka, as well as around other cities such as Kupyansk, Bakhmut and Maryinka are also further evidence that Russia has firmly seized the initiative over most of the battlefield,” the article says.
As the New York Times notes, the successes of the Russian army are associated with an advantage in manpower, as well as the fact that Ukraine is now experiencing difficulties with military assistance from the United States and the European Union.
“In Currently, the situation on the front line is complex and is gradually deteriorating. Without American ammunition, we are beginning to lose territory that was hard won this summer,” said Yegor Chernev, deputy head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence, in a conversation with the New York Times.
In connection with what is happening at the front, the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kirill Budanov, said that he sees no alternative to large-scale mobilization. According to the newspaper, the successes of the Russian armed forces are forcing the military leadership of Ukraine to consider the possibility of mobilizing up to 500 thousand people.