Ukraine's Offensive: Taking Territory vs. the War of Attrition

Update on the conflict in Ukraine for April 19, 2023

- Both Russia's and Ukraine's presidents visit front line troops in Kherson and the Donbass region respectively;

- Russian forces continue to gain ground in Bakhmut, pro-Ukrainian maps show the main rail station now under Russian control;

- Ukrainian general admits Russia carrying out airstrikes in Bakhmut further indicating an increasingly pivotal change in the nature of fighting in Russia's favor;

- Western analysis continues to paint a bleak picture regarding Ukraine's upcoming offensive, noting that even if it manages to succeed in taking territory, it does little to change the lopsided nature of what is actually a war of attrition Ukraine is losing;

- Former Western diplomats and military leaders have called for greater support for Ukraine, refusing to acknowledge the limits of Western military industrial output and Ukraine's ability to absorb weapon systems they are unfamiliar with;

References:

Reuters - Russia increases shelling, air strikes in Bakhmut - Ukrainian general (April 18, 2023):
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-increases-shelling-air-strikes-bakhmut-ukrainian-general-2023-04-18/
BBC - Ukraine war: Putin visits occupied Kherson region in Ukraine (April 19, 2023):
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65308470
Foreign Policy - Ukraine’s Longest Day (April 18, 2023):
https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/04/18/ukraine-russia-war-counteroffensive-attack-bakhmut-himars/
Politico - Ukraine could be looking at another Maidan (April 18, 2023):
https://www.politico.eu/article/ukraine-war-another-maidan-revolution-dignity-russia-invasion/
Guardian - Freedom needs to be better supplied than tyranny. If democracies stand firm, Putin’s war on Ukraine will fail (April 17, 2023):
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/apr/17/democracies-vladimir-putin-ukraine-diplomatic-military-europe
The Atlantic - The Danger of Putin Losing in Syria (January 2016):
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2016/01/putin-russia-syria-war/423309/
Washington Post - Russia’s military is unlikely to turn the tide in Syria’s war (October 2015):
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russias-military-is-unlikely-to-turn-the-tide-in-syrias-war/2015/10/03/1b9fff04-686a-11e5-bdb6-6861f4521205_story.html

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