Ukrainian Offensive Nears 2 Month Mark: Little Left to Replace Heavy Losses

Update on the conflict in Ukraine for July 26, 2023:

-Ukraine’s offensive nears the 2 month mark, having failed to breakthrough the security zone along the line of contact and reach the first of several layers of Russian defenses;

-Ukrainian losses are significant, Russia’s Ministry of Defense estimated up to 26,000 casualties as of July 12, 2023, many more have died since;

-Comments from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky indicate significant losses throughout the conflict and an inability to properly prepare for the current offensive;

-Ukraine has begun using bombings, drone strikes, and other forms of terrorism deep within Russian territory to compensate for a lack of progress along the line of contact;

-US security assistance packages for Ukraine reflect dwindling capacity to sustain combat in a high-intensity war of attrition;

-Allegations of Chinese support for Russian combat operations by supplying Russian troops with equipment and drones deliberately ignore the fact that Chinese products are making it into the hands of both Russian and Ukrainian soldiers on the free market;

-The Western media framing China as incapable of brokering peace because non-lethal products it makes are on the battlefield in Ukraine ignores Western nations positioning themselves to likewise broker peace (such as France) despite transferring weapons and ammunition to Ukrainian forces;

-With Ukraine’s offensive stalled, it is likely Ukraine’s Western sponsors will be preparing for their next move, be it an intervention of one kind or another, or shifting from Ukraine to the war it is attempting to provoke with China in the Pacific;

References:

CNN – Ukrainian defense minister says attacks on Crimea will continue, predicts NATO entry early next year (July 25, 2023):
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/07/24/eu…

Newsweek – Ukraine Details ‘Key Battles’ in Counteroffensive (July 24, 2023):
https://www.newsweek.com/ukraine-deta…

US Department of Defense – Biden Administration Announces Additional Security Assistance for Ukraine (July 19, 2023):
https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases…

Reuters – US to give Ukraine new $400 million military aid package (July 22, 2023):
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/…

Politico – China secretly sends enough gear to Russia to equip an army (July 24, 2023):
https://www.politico.eu/article/china…

CNN – Exclusive: Chinese-made drone, retrofitted and weaponized, downed in eastern Ukraine (March 16, 2023):
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/16/eu…

The Drive – Our Best Look At Ukraine’s Shadowy ‘Alibaba Drone’ Used For Long-Range Strikes (March 2, 2023):
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone…

BBC – Ukraine rapidly expanding its ‘Army of Drones’ for front line (April 2023):
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-6…