Russia will be forced to scale down its attacks in a month and a half, Ukrainian commander says
Russia will be unable to maintain the scale of its attacks in multiple sectors for a long time because its "capabilities are not unlimited," General Oleksandr Pivnenko, the commander of Ukraine's National Guard, said in an interview with Ukrinform published on July 25.
Moscow's troops have been putting ever-growing pressure on Ukraine along the front, attempting to break through Ukrainian defenses near Pokrovsk while capturing the eastern part of Chasiv Yar.
Ukraine was also forced to withdraw from Krynky on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast.
Kyiv's forces managed to halt the Russian advance near Kharkiv but Russia continues to hold a handful of settlements in the area.
"The enemy's offensive capabilities are not unlimited, considering the losses they suffer," Pivnenko told Ukrinform.
"In another month and a half, they will not be able to conduct active assaults in many directions at once and will switch to defense."
Pivnenko stressed that at a time when Russia will be replenishing its troops, Ukraine must pay attention to preparing its own reserves and armament. If Ukraine plans "one step ahead of Russia, then everything will be fine," he added.
"The most important thing that can be done now is training, development of training centers, procurement of weapons and military equipment, production of military equipment, drones, armored vehicles, air defense systems, man-portable air defense systems, and ammunition," Pivnenko said.
Moscow currently fields some 520,000 troops in Ukraine and plans to raise this number to 690,000 by the end of the year, according to Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi.
"When it comes to equipment, there is a ratio of 1:2 or 1:3 in their favor," Syrskyi told the Guardian.
The Ukrainian military said that Russia has lost over 570,000 troops killed or wounded as of late July.
Natalia Yermak
