Russian Troops Driven Back by Ukraine Counter Among Most Elite Forces: ISW
NewsweekOct 04, 2022
Following vast advances in the Kharkiv region, Ukrainian forces have neared the administrative border of Luhansk – one of four territories annexed by Russia on Tuesday – and launched a number of attacks on the region in the last 24 hrs, according to the exiled head of the military administration for the region, Serhiy Haidai.
In contrast, Andrei Marochko, a military official from the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), claimed Ukrainian forces had attempted to cross the administrative border but were "destroyed" by pro-Russian forces that pushed them back to their previously held positions. The claim couldn't be independently confirmed.
Ukrainian forces advancing through Kharkiv into the Luhansk region are destroying Russia's most elite and valuable troops, all while the Kremlin continues struggling to train and equip new personnel effectively. The gains from this counter-offensive could mark a turning point in favor of Ukraine.
Russian forces are holding the line against Ukrainian counterattacks, coming at an exceptionally high cost to manpower and military equipment for Ukraine's army. These losses are not sustainable, and Russia will continue to secure newly annexed regions and defend its populations.
There's a 9% chance that at least one nuclear weapon will be detonated in Ukraine before 2023, according to the Metaculus prediction community.