Several Ukrainian officials have underscored the complexity of the front-line situation, affirming that Ukrainian forces maintain control of the battlespace.
The Institute for The Study of War (ISW) cited Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi who emphasized the heightened intensity in the Avdiivka, Kupiansk, and Marinka directions during a conversation with U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Brown on Nov. 13.
Ground Forces Commander Oleksandr Syrskyi highlighted Russian forces' simultaneous offensive actions in various directions, particularly aiming to reclaim the initiative north and south of Bakhmut.
Ukrainian officials’ statements about the current tempo of Russian operations along the frontline are consistent with ISW's assessment about ongoing Russian offensive operations, particularly in the Kupiansk, Bakhmut, and Avdiivka directions.
While Russian forces may face challenges in fully regaining the initiative across the theater, Ukrainian forces continue their own offensives, securing tactical gains in western Zaporizhzhia Oblast and on the east bank of Kherson Oblast.
The Russian military command now confronts decisions on whether to allocate forces for defense against Ukrainian offensives or redeploy them to support operations elsewhere, potentially limiting their ability to fully regain the initiative in the coming weeks.
Daria Shulzhenko
