US officials have advised Ukraine to refrain from major offensive operations on the southern or eastern fronts this year due to Russia's strong defenses, the New York Times reported. Washington's recommendation seems to have become one of the main reasons for Kyiv's strategic choice in recent military operations.
"When advancing to Kursk, the Ukrainians heeded American advice: instead of fighting on fortified positions, go where there is no enemy in order to secure strategically important territory. How strategic this onslaught will be, only time will tell,” writes the NYT.
At the same time, the newspaper notes that even in the case of the transfer of Russian troops from Donbas to the Kursk region, Ukraine will hardly have enough manpower to achieve success in the east.
"Ukraine itself used a significant number of troops in Kursk and may not have sufficient reserves," the article says.
