Perilous supply routes: Ukraine's troops struggle to carry out logistical operations under the cover of dark, hoping to avoid shelling on the roads in and out of town, the military spokesperson Shandyba said. Ukrainian servicemen run to take cover during shelling near Bakhmut, on April 30. And the extent of Moscow’s internal indecision, rivalries and disunity only grows. The amount we know about their emotional state, or target, is almost zero. Russia’s eroding ammunition supplies were long known, but to suggest imminent failure just ahead of the counteroffensive smacks of a major bid to shift blame.īottom line: The hours before Ukraine moves are shrinking. But this sort of public spat isn’t something Moscow would encourage at this sensitive moment). (A caveat: Prigozhin is not the most trustworthy source, and provides little evidence for what he says. The Wagner mercenary warlord chose Sunday to give another long interview in which he laid bare the sheer extent of the issues his mercenaries face.Īccording to the Wagner head, his fighters are so low on ammunition that they may have to withdraw from Bakhmut - the strategically unimportant city they have squandered thousands of lives trying to take. (AP)Īnd then there's Yevgeny Prigozhin's new round of criticism. Yevgeny Prigozhin arrives to pay respects to slain Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky on April 8 in Moscow. But this fails to satisfy the question: Why now?īy removing key ministers in the moments before its army faces Ukraine's counter-assault, Moscow sends a message of disarray. The "Butcher of Mariupol," as Mizintsev is known, surely had enough failings over Russia’s disastrous war to merit his firing. The Russian Ministry of Defense has not spelled out his dismissal, merely issuing a decree that Aleksey Kuzmenkov now has his job. That’s not great in an era of precise rockets and speedy armored advances.īut it's the last 72 hours that have perhaps most betrayed Russia's lacking readiness:įirst, the apparent firing of the deputy defense minister in charge of logistics, Mikhail Mizintsev. They are big, yes, but they are also something anyone can peruse on Google. That recognition of their enormity is not necessarily a compliment in 2023. That has happened, with vast trench defense networks that can be seen from space. After losing Kharkiv and Kherson, they have had at least seven months to ready the next likely target of Ukrainian attack: Zaporizhzhia. Moscow, on the other hand, is in the closing-time bar brawl stage of their war. We don’t know - and that fact is a strong measure of Ukraine’s success as this begins. It may have already started it may be weeks away. Its defense minister has said preparations are "coming to an end" and President Volodymyr Zelensky has assured a counteroffensive "will happen," while demurring on any exact start date. Kyiv’s frontlines are abuzz with vehicle movement and artillery strikes, with regular explosions hitting vital Russian targets in occupied areas. Ukraine's much-anticipated counteroffensive appears imminent - and the way each side is preparing speaks volumes about their readiness. (Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) Wagner mercenary head Yevgeny Prigozhin said Sunday that his fighters may have to withdraw from Bakhmut. The Ukrainian army fires grad shells in the direction of Bakhmut on April 28. Zelensky's readout said he thanked “France for its comprehensive and effective support for Ukraine in the face of ongoing full-scale Russian aggression." The NATO Summit in Lithuania will take place in mid-July. The world leaders discussed the upcoming NATO Summit in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, where Zelensky said he anticipates members will make security guarantees for his country, and where he also hopes to begin the process of formally inviting Ukraine to join the alliance. Zelensky also laid out the highest priority aid his military needs to defeat Moscow's forces, according to the readout. The Ukrainian readout said Zelensky shared details about the situation on the conflict's front lines and how it might develop in May and June, as anticipation builds for Kyiv's counteroffensive. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his French counterpart held a phone call Sunday, discussing what Emmanuel Macron’s readout called France’s “commitment to provide all necessary assistance to Ukraine in order to restore its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
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