The New York Times publishes a report from Rabotino on the Melitopol route.
Military analysts characterized Ukraine's current strategy as "hold, build and strike" on Russian rear lines.
Rabotine is a salient in the defense of the Russian Federation, where the Armed Forces can be attacked from three sides and the front line here periodically moves in both directions. But the soldiers say that there is no point in retreating. Fighter Oleksandr says that then the Ukrainians will simply have to fight in other positions under similar conditions.
"Every meter must be protected," he said.
A former adviser to the Secretary of Defense, Yuri Sak, says that holding this village and others like it, which the NYT does not consider strategically important, "is important for morale, support of the population, internal belief in our potential to win."
"At some point, the symbolic becomes strategic," Sack said.
Fighters believe that it is more profitable to fight defensively, because the Russian Federation has to leave its fortified positions and will suffer heavy losses. Although it has an advantage in aviation and ammunition.
American weapons donated for the counteroffensive last year, including Stryker armored vehicles, have proved useful for defense now.
The situation is similar in Krynky on the left bank of the Dnieper. The Russian Federation continues to advance here, there were three assaults on Monday alone. Ukrainian officials believe that the battles for this "bulge", which is provided by boats, are worth it, because they cost Russia heavy losses. But there is skepticism in Washington about the need to hold positions at all costs.
Throughout the war, U.S. officials have repeatedly expressed concern that Ukraine has been defending such places for too long, forcing soldiers and ammunition to cling to devastated cities of little strategic value.
"I understand that the (Biden - Ed.) administration is disappointed. It is not clear whether the military decisions are purely military, or under the influence of political pressure, or even direct," says Evelyn Farkas, director of the McCain Institute.
