Russias War Enters Fifth Year as Ukraine Regains Southern Territory

Ukraine Reports Limited Territorial Gains Amid Ongoing Conflict with Russia

In recognition of the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion, Ukraine announced territorial gains in southern regions, while also improving its air defense capabilities. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian forces have regained approximately 300-400 square kilometers of territory since January.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) attributed Kyiv’s successes to several factors, including the disconnection of illegal Russian Starlink terminals and the partial disablement of Telegram messaging service by the Kremlin. This disruption has hindered Russia’s ability to utilize these services for essential military communications.

Open-source intelligence suggests that Russia’s campaign in Ukraine has been experiencing difficulties over the past three years, with limited territorial gains at a significant cost in lives. The battle for Pokrovsk, a city in eastern Donetsk region, appears to have ended in Russian victory after two years of fighting.

On Tuesday, Zelenskyy stated that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin acknowledges his inability to defeat Ukraine on the battlefield and is instead focusing on targeting apartment buildings and power plants. Russia launched multiple drone and missile attacks against Ukraine during the week, with significant losses suffered by Ukrainian air defenses.

Ukraine’s Air Force reported destroying 3,855 long-range missiles and 67,000 drones since the beginning of the war. The country has also launched a strategic campaign to damage Russian weapons and fuel supply chains, which saw notable successes in recent days.

Source: Al Jazeera