Russian leadership doubts new offensive in Ukraine would be effective, US says
Russia is experiencing a "significant" shortage of ammunition, which creates a serious problem at the front (Photo:General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine via Facebook)
Russian authorities are not convinced Moscow’s forces could launch an effective new offensive in Ukraine, Reuters reported on Dec. 20, citing an unnamed U.S. State Department official.
“Certainly, there are some (within Russia) who I think would want to pursue (new) offensives in Ukraine,” the source said.
“There are others who have real questions about the capacity for Russia to actually do that.”
The official added that Russia is experiencing a “significant” shortage of ammunition, which creates a serious problem at the front, while recently mobilized Russians are yet to become “cohesive” combat units.
“There are all sorts of things that the Russians are dealing with in terms of having the necessary equipment, having the necessary ammunition; (all) that puts some constraints on what they may want to do,” Reuters quotes its source.
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi earlier said that Russia could launch a new offensive in February, “at best in March, at worst – at the end of January.”
According to the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), in the coming months Russian forces may resume attempts at offensive operations along two main axes: in northeastern Ukraine along the border of Kharkiv, and either in Luhansk or Donetsk oblasts.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also confirmed that Russia is preparing to conduct another major offensive in 2023.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
