Russia’s War against Ukraine
Weekly Reports from Summer 2023
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
From November 2022 to May 2023, Russia made minimal territorial gains, while suffering terrible losses. The army's offensive potential is exhausted. Ukraine's long-heralded counteroffensive has failed to make advances in the three weeks since it began in early June. The front line is mined, and the Ukrainian army lacks the air defences to protect advancing troops from air raids. Russia has left its border with Ukraine significantly less well protected than the occupied territories. Small Ukrainian squads can enter Russia to force troop deployments from the combat zone. At the same time, the war of attri-tion continues with missile and drone attacks on industrial assets and infra-structure. In addition to destroying Russian refineries and bridges, Ukraine has also achieved symbolic successes, for example, by sending drones all the way to Moscow. Russia has overcome its supply problems and is counting on wearing down Ukraine with air strikes against facilities relevant to Kyiv's war effort and with terrorist attacks on civilian targets.
(Osteuropa, 3-4/2023, pp. 143–174)