US says Russia’s progress in Donbass is “minimal at best”

The Pentagon estimates that Russia’s progress in Ukraine’s eastern Donbass region has been “minimal at best” and that Russian forces continue to suffer from “poor” command and control, low morale and recurring logistical problems, he told reporters. on Monday, a senior U.S. defense official.

Why it matters: Russia launched a major offensive in Donbass last month, which both sides described as a decisive “second phase” of the war. Two weeks later, the United States felt that Russian forces were “behind schedule” and were experiencing many of the same problems that forced them to withdraw from Kyiv.

News movement: The US official described the Russian operations in Donbass as “very cautious, very lukewarm, very uneven”, attributing some of the failures to a “risk and sacrifice aversion” that continues to exist both in the air and on the ground.

• “It simply came to our notice then [to an area]they declare victory and then withdraw their troops, only to allow the Ukrainians to take it back, “the official said.
• The official also said that the highest-ranking general of the Russian army Valery Gerasimov visited Donbass for “several days” last week, but the United States could not confirm Ukrainian reports that he had been wounded.

In addition to the problems in Donbass, Russian forces have been pushed 25 miles east of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, in the past 24-48 hours, the official said.

• Kharkov is only 25 miles south of the Russian border and close to Donbass, but remains firmly under Ukrainian control despite 68 days of heavy bombing.
• The official called Ukraine’s counter-offensive in Kharkiv an “incredible effort” that deprived Russian forces of the opportunity to push south and connect with other units trying to encircle Ukrainian troops in Donbas.

Reduction: 14 US military aid flights to Ukraine have landed in the region in the last 24 hours, with another 11 expected in the next 24 hours, the official said.

• By the end of the day, about 200 Ukrainian soldiers will be trained at sites in Europe on how to use the howitzer artillery systems allowed in the latest US military aid packages.
• 20 Ukrainian soldiers were also trained on Phoenix Ghost drones, developed by the US Air Force specifically for Ukrainian requirements, the official said.

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