Russian generals are stepping up human wave attacks to fulfill their promise to Putin
According to the DeepState analytical project, the Russian army carried out more than 8,000 assaults in July, setting a new record. The intensity of the attacks has been increasing for the third consecutive month: the number of assaults rose by approximately 11% compared to June and by 60% compared to the beginning of the year. The average daily rate reached 258 assault attempts.
Despite record-breaking pressure and significant losses, the occupiers’ territorial gains remain minimal. In July, the net increase in territory seized by Russia amounted to about 88 square kilometers (taking into account adjustments for previous months). By comparison, at the end of last year, Russian troops were seizing about 500 square kilometers per month.
The acceleration of the offensive is linked to political promises made to the military and political leadership. According to Bloomberg, citing sources in the Kremlin, the Russian Ministry of Defense has assured Vladimir Putin that it can fully capture the Donetsk region by the end of 2026. At the same time, sources close to the Russian Defense Ministry interviewed by the publication call these plans unrealistic and believe that the fighting in Donbas will drag on until at least 2027.
Source: Bloomberg.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces successfully counterattacked near Sloviansk and halted the Russian advance, according to the ISW.
As a reminder, the spring-summer offensive by Russian forces has not yielded significant operational results, and their rate of advance remains significantly lower than last year. This is stated in a new report by the U.S. Institute for the Study of War (ISW) dated August 1.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is attempting to avoid personal responsibility for the war against Ukraine by shifting the blame onto other government officials and Russian citizens.
