News Feed

Bloomberg: US aid can give Ukraine respite but quick battlefield shift unlikely

2 min read
Bloomberg: US aid can give Ukraine respite but quick battlefield shift unlikely
Ukrainian infantry soldiers of the 23rd Mechanized Brigade walk to board an armored fighting vehicle MaxxPro to head toward the frontline in the Avdiivka direction, in the Donetsk region, Ukraine on April 3, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Roman Pilipey /AFP via Getty Images)

The U.S. aid can provide Ukraine with breathing room, but an actual shift on the battlefield remains distant, Bloomberg reported on April 22.

After months of congressional gridlock, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a $61 billion aid bill for Kyiv on April 20, sending the legislation to the Senate.

The delays have led to critical shortages in artillery rounds and air defense ammunition, putting an ever-increasing strain on Ukrainian forces.

A defense expert told Bloomberg that Washington's assistance could help Kyiv stall Russian advances and conduct an effective defense.

"The question is whether there will be aid and in what volume in 2025 and beyond — as (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's strategy is to wait it out," said Mykola Bielieskov, a research fellow at the National Institute for Strategic Studies in Kyiv.

According to the outlet, logistical constraints mean that the aid will likely start affecting the situation at the front only in several weeks.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) warned that Russian offensive operations would likely seek to use the time window before the aid arrives to exploit spring ground conditions and continuing ammunition shortages.

"The Russian military command will likely intensify offensive operations and missile and drone strikes to pursue operationally significant effects that will certainly become harder to achieve against well-provisioned Ukrainian forces," the ISW wrote.

Ukraine's military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, told the BBC that Kyiv is likely to face a particularly difficult situation in mid-May and June.

After capturing Avdiivka in February, Moscow shifted its focus toward Chasiv Yar, a mostly depopulated town in Donetsk Oblast west of occupied Bakhmut.

Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi said on April 13 that the situation on Ukraine's eastern front has "significantly deteriorated in recent days."

US House passes $61 billion in aid to Ukraine
The U.S. House of Representatives on April 20 passed a key foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and other allies after months of political infighting and a deteriorating situation on the battlefield. Over two months have passed since the Senate passed a similar bill on foreign assistance, and D…
Article image
Avatar
Martin Fornusek

Senior News Editor

Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.

Read more
News Feed

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban called upon the EU to take action against Ukraine's conscription practices in an interview with Origo published on July 15, amid an ongoing dispute with Kyiv over the death of a Ukrainian conscript of Hungarian ethnicity.

Show More