INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Dozens of damaged military vehicles with Russian markings could be seen scattered chaotically across a snow-covered field in footage
released last week of a battlefield near the eastern Ukrainian mining town of Vuhledar, southwest of the Russian-held city of Donetsk.The
hulls of some of the armored vehicles were covered in black soot from what appeared to be recent fires
Lying nearby were tank turrets and other parts from combat vehicles that had been dismembered by explosions.Next to the burned-out vehicles,
have been one of the opening engagements of a major Russian offensive in Ukraine, analysts told The Moscow Times on Tuesday, as the Kremlin
Vuhledar], but it is unlikely they will be able to achieve a true breakthrough and seize much territory."If the fighting in Vuhledar is
Ukrainian Armed Forces last week destroyed what appeared to be a Russian convoy near Vuhledar consisting of troops from the 55th Guards
have been bitterly criticized by several influential Russian military bloggers, including the Grey Zone Telegram channel, believed to be
affiliated with mercenary group Wagner, and Igor Girkin, a retired Russian special ops officer who is a vocal critic of the Russian war
been ongoing for months."The Russians are advancing several times a day, one after the other
businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Wagner, said over the weekend that his troops had seized the village of Krasna Hora to the north
Russia's political leadership to launch a significant attack is limited by the capabilities of the Russian Armed Forces and a lack of
captured village of Krasna Hora.Concordgroup_official / Telegram"The Russian leadership faces a choice: either continue the slow gnawing in
Or to opt for a new major offensive from the north or from the south, which in the current circumstances would border on the adventurous,"
military leaders and experts have been warning since late last year that the Kremlin is likely building up its forces to mount a new
of territory in a successful counteroffensive, Bloomberg reported last month, citing sources
amassing its own forces to launch an attack on Russian-held territory.Some observers assess that President Vladimir Putin believes he can
problems facing the Kremlin, however, are minimal training provided to newly mobilized recruits and losses of sophisticated military
equipment.Since the start of the invasion, Ukraine has destroyed or captured at least 1,727 Russian tanks, according to Dutch group Oryx,
the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, it is likely to fail given its poorly-trained troops, according to analyst Lee.And if Russia loses significant
necessarily well-trained or motivated units
