Western Media Faces Ukraine’s Failures: Offensive Grinds on with No Plan-B

Update on the conflict in Ukraine for August 21, 2023:

– As Ukraine’s offensive struggles in its 3rd month to cross the Russian security zone and reach the first of several defensive lines, Russian forces around Kupiansk have begun reversing Ukraine’s territorial gains made in last year’s Ukrainian offensive;

– The Western media citing Western political and military leaders as well as previously optimistic Western analysts now admit how implausible Ukraine’s offensive plans actually were as blame begins to be traded;

– Despite a growing grip on reality, there is still talk about “wonder weapons” changing the tide of the fighting including continued talk about the delivery of US-made F-16 warplanes which face all the difficulties that NATO main battle tanks faced, preventing Ukraine from using them effectively on the battlefield;

– Russia will most likely continue its methodical advance across the battlefield after Ukraine’s offensive fully exhausts itself rather than launching its own “big-arrow” offensive;

References:

Ukrayinska Pravda (via Yahoo! News) – Ukraine’s offensive success in south is successful, Russia’s in Kharkiv Oblast is not – UK intelligence (August 19, 2023):
https://news.yahoo.com/ukraines-offen…

FT – US grows doubtful Ukraine counteroffensive can quickly succeed (August 20, 2023):
https://www.ft.com/content/4d40482a-f…

Washington Post – U.S. intelligence says Ukraine will fail to meet offensive’s key goal (August 17, 2023):
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation…

NY Times – Fighting Intensifies in Northeast as Russia Presses on Kupiansk (August 17, 2023):
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/08/…

Washington Post – Wounded Ukrainian soldiers reveal steep toll of Kherson offensive (November 2022):
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/…

NYT – Defenses Carved Into the Earth (December 2022):
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2…

Washington Post – Ukraine running out of options to retake significant territory (August 20, 2023):
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/…

DW – Ukraine updates: F-16 training has begun, Kyiv says (August 20, 2023):
https://www.dw.com/en/ukraine-updates…

CNBC – Can expensive, American-made weapons like F-16s turn the tide in Ukraine’s war against Russia? (August 19, 2023):
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/19/can-e…

Newsweek – Russia Blames Ukraine for Drone Attack on Military Airfield (August 19, 2023):
https://www.newsweek.com/russia-ukrai…

Politico – Russian missile strike kills 7 in Ukraine, including child (August 19, 2023):
https://www.politico.eu/article/cheni…

Ukrainska Pravda – Russian propagandists confirm they targeted drone manufacturers in Chernihiv (August 19, 2023):
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/20…