Russia’s Defence Minister claimed on Tuesday that over 400 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory had been seized since the start of the year, with Russian troops taking the initiative against ammunition-deprived Ukrainian soldiers.
"Overall, since the beginning of the year, 403 square kilometres of territory in the new regions of the Russian Federation have come under our control," Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu stated at a military meeting, according to his ministry.
He was referring to the Ukrainian regions of Luhansk, Kherson, Donetsk, and Zaporizhia, which Russia claims to have annexed but only partially controls.
Shoigu asserted his troops continue to “push the Ukrainian units westward”.
In recent months, the Russian army has claimed to have captured several villages and, notably, the fortress city of Avdiivka in the East, which Ukrainian forces had been clinging onto for years.
Despite this, Russian soldiers have not achieved any breakthrough, with large parts of the front remaining frozen. They appear to have benefitted though from the struggles of the Kiev army, facing ammunition shortages, recruitment difficulties, and the stagnation of Western aid.
Last week, the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) estimated that Russia had seized 505 square kilometres of territory in Ukraine since last October.
The institute noted, material “constraints” are limiting the capabilities of Ukrainian soldiers to "conduct effective defensive operations."
As the country grapples with weapon shortages and struggles to recruit new military personnel, it added, the "opportunities to exploit Ukrainian vulnerabilities" are expanding.
Political divisions, both in Brussels and Washington, are delaying the aid requested by Kyiv. In the American Congress, a $60 billion aid package has been blocked for months by Republicans.
