Ukraine’s Incremental Progress Toward a Bridgehead

It can present an array of complexities for Russian commanders

Soldiers taking their position on a river bank (Licensed Image)

At the 2023 Army Forum held in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin, alongside his defense minister Sergei Shoigu, unveiled their distinctive version of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine.

During the event, they skillfully crafted an alternate narrative.

Defense Minister Shoigu emphatically asserted that Russia’s capabilities outmatch those of Western capabilities and equipment, highlighting that Western sanctions, rather than inflicting harm, had spurred a surge in domestic military production within Russia. The Russian Minister of Defense conveyed that both Ukrainian resources and Western military arsenals now stood drained and depleted.

If anything, Putin’s decision to remove his mask has spurred NATO to confront and rectify some of its existing shortcomings. Methodically, they are addressing these areas of concern. The Western alliance has significantly enhanced its capacity to train and prepare thousands of Ukrainian soldiers, effectively augmenting multiple battalions’ worth of troops each month.

Both the United States and Germany have boosted their monthly production of 155 mm artillery shells, with ongoing efforts to further…