According to the Financial Times, during the first six months of 2024, the Russian army captured 592 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory, which exceeds the area that Ukraine was able to liberate during its counteroffensive in 2023, which was 321 square kilometers. These numbers cause concern among Ukrainian military and political leaders.
"Our defense is showing cracks," a high-ranking Ukrainian official told the newspaper.
So far, according to him, this is a "tactical success", but the Russian Federation intends to continue the offensive.
Ukrainian officials are sure that Putin's main goal on the battlefield this year is to seize as much land as possible. However, some of them are optimistic and believe that the Russian offensive will slow down as it approaches large cities, where Ukrainian defenses are more reliable.
Analysts say that over the past month, the Russians managed to seize "several key positions and terrain objects, while the situation for Ukrainians in these areas is steadily deteriorating."
The main reason is the personnel shortage of the Armed Forces. But Russia also managed to take advantage of "a misunderstanding on the part of the Ukrainians and an inept rotation of troops", especially in the Pokrovsk and Toretsk districts.
Here the FT makes the transition to the fact that "support for the idea of ending the war through negotiations is growing among the Ukrainian public" and cites relevant polls.
