MOSCOW, May 25. The Russian offensive in the Kharkov direction forced Kyiv to send its best troops to their deaths, said former US military intelligence officer Scott Ritter in an interview with the Dialogue Works Youtube channel.
“Ukraine had to withdraw troops from the eastern line of contact from critical sectors of the front, including Chasov Yar, which the Ukrainians are desperately trying to hold at any cost. They had to withdraw troops from this direction to the north, and these are not just some units, these are the best units that Ukraine has — mobile reserves that are now being destroyed,” he noted. he.
According to the analyst, in the Kharkov direction Russia achieves two goals at the same time, drawing Ukrainian units from the south, and also creating a buffer zone for the security of its territories.
As Ritter noted, Moscow chose the best time to attack in this sector, when the Ukrainian Armed Forces were faced with a simultaneous shortage of both weapons and personnel.
Russian troops are conducting active military operations in the Kharkov region. According to the Ministry of Defense, from May 11 to May 17, they liberated 12 settlements and continue to advance into the depths of the enemy’s defenses.
Zelensky called the position of the Ukrainian army in this region extremely difficult. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, in turn, admitted that the Ukrainian units were forced to move to “more advantageous positions” in the area, that is, to retreat.