Ukrainian forces have halted Russia’s summer offensive in the Sumy region, recapturing some of the territory it had seized and two towns, The Wall Street Journal reported, in a move that underscored Moscow’s inability to conduct large-scale, coordinated operations on the battlefield.
According to Major Oleg Shiryayev, commander of the 225th Separate Assault Regiment, the enemy in the area is “exhausted.” Since mid-July, Russian forces have virtually ceased active offensives, and in recent weeks Ukraine has regained 4 to 6 square miles of territory.
However, a significant Russian force of over 50,000 troops remains in the region. This poses a risk of renewed offensive operations, Ukrainian officers say. The ratio of forces in the area, they say, is approximately one Ukrainian soldier to five Russians.
The Russian tactics in this sector of the front are guided bombardments, drones, and artillery, followed by attacks by small infantry groups. Armored vehicles, including tanks, are rarely used. The greatest losses are caused by aerial bombs and high-explosive fragmentation munitions with cheap guidance systems.
Ukraine was able to halt the enemy's advance by striking at its logistics and transport routes supplying ammunition and reinforcements. According to the military, in some cases entire roads were destroyed to cut off advanced Russian units, while GUR forces carried out attacks behind enemy lines.
Analysts believe that the situation in Sumy region demonstrates the Russian Federation’s difficulties in organizing “combined operations,” where infantry, artillery, armored vehicles, logistics, aviation, and the navy operate simultaneously. Instead, Russia relies on small advances of a few miles and tactics of attrition.
Meanwhile, Russian leader Vladimir Putin has agreed to meet with US President Donald Trump, but will arrive for talks without any significant progress on the front. According to Forbes and CNN, the war is likely to continue, and only large-scale military aid to Ukraine, Russia's economic collapse, or a successful offensive by the Ukrainian Armed Forces can change the situation.
