The Russian military command will want to move very quickly to take over Kyiv.
Kyiv:
Ukrainian forces are on the defensive against a three-way invasion by a larger, better equipped, and seasoned Russian military with recent combat experience from the Syrian civil war.
The missiles hit Ukrainian cities on Thursday, and Ukraine reported mass troops pouring across its borders from Russia and Belarus and landing on its Black Sea and Sea of Azov coasts.
Russia’s goal remains unclear but the capital Kyiv is clearly a major one, with President Vladimir Putin saying he intends to “strive for the demilitarization and denuclearization of Ukraine”.
“The Russian military command will want to move very quickly, especially to isolate and then capture Kyiv, to prevent a tight Ukrainian defense system from forming, and to prevent the formation of a tight Ukrainian defense system,” said senior colleague Ben Barry. , if they can, will disrupt the movement of Ukrainian reserve forces.” for land warfare at the International
Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
An adviser to the President of Ukraine said that Hostomel airport, northwest of the capital, had been captured by Russian forces – which Barry said would allow them to fly with additional hardware including light armored vehicles to increase strengthen the attack.
Russia’s advance along the Azov coast and near Kharkiv in the northeast, he said, also shows an attempt to encircle Ukrainian forces in the east of the country.
The United States estimates Russia has more than 150,000 troops concentrated around Ukraine’s border before the invasion, plus tens of thousands of Russian-backed warplanes in breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine’s total active armed forces are 196,600, according to the authoritative Military Balance report by IISS published last week.
But despite being highly motivated to defend the country, and newly armed with Turkish drones and US and British anti-tank missiles, analysts say they are highly vulnerable, especially missile and air attacks. Ukraine’s navy is limited to one large warship and a dozen patrol boats, against the might of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.
MOBILE VERSION STATUS
Ukraine’s experience from eight years of fighting separatist forces in the east has been dominated by World War I-style static trench warfare.
By contrast, Russian forces have shown in Syria, where they interfere with President Bashar al-Assad’s side, that they are capable of moving rapidly over great distances, assembling floating bridges to Cross rivers and synchronize land maneuvers with drone and drone strikes.
The Russian air force has carried out tens of thousands of airstrikes, killing thousands of civilians, according to the Syrian opposition. According to Barry, tens of thousands of Russian service personnel have carried out missions in Syria, and senior staff on land, air and special operations (Spetsnaz) have been carried out on business trips.
Russian soldiers already have extensive urban warfare experience alongside Assad’s allies from Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which could prove valuable if battles take place in major Ukrainian cities.
Analysts at Janes, a defense intelligence provider, say Russia has also used Syria’s intervention to test new and modernized air, ground and naval equipment including drones. Su-57 next-generation fighter jet and Kalibr cruise missile.
“To win against Russia, Ukrainian forces will have to demonstrate a very high tactical standard, be very bold and resolute, and have a campaign plan that is superior to that of Russia,” Barry said.
“One advantage that the Ukrainians have is that they are fighting for their country on their own land. Second, it seems that a large number of civilians are volunteering to fight alongside the armed forces and the military. That could make any Russian attack on urban areas more difficult.”
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from an aggregated feed.)
