Key Takeaways from the ISW:
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky indicated that Ukraine does not have enough materiel to contest the battlefield initiative.
- Zelensky stressed that additional Western security assistance is necessary for Ukrainian forces to effectively defend Ukraine’s airspace against the intensified Russian strike campaign and increased Russian aviation operations along the frontline.
- Zelensky cautioned that the arrival of all promised F-16 fighter jets from Ukraine’s Western partners in 2024 will provide Ukraine with only 10 percent of the fighter aircraft Ukraine would need to completely defeat Russian aviation and restore Ukraine’s ability to operate effectively in the air domain.
- Continued delays in US security assistance are specifically impacting the capabilities that Ukrainian forces need to respond to the increased tempo of Russian mechanized assaults in eastern Ukraine.
- The Kremlin explicitly threatened its long-term ally Armenia on April 5 over Armenian outreach to the West following Russia’s failure to prevent Armenia’s loss of Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023.
- The Russian MFA also continues to threaten Finland and claimed that Finland has “lost its independence in making foreign policy decisions” since its accession to NATO — a narrative that the Kremlin routinely used to falsely claim that NATO was controlling Ukraine and using Ukraine to threaten Russia.
- Chechen Republic Head Ramzan Kadyrov announced on April 5 that 3,000 former Wagner Group personnel will join the Akhmat Spetsnaz unit following successful negotiations between Akhmat and Wagner commanders.
- Russian forces recently made confirmed advances near Avdiivka and Donetsk City.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin passed two laws on April 6, offering Russian society some concession for its sacrifices to support Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Authors: Riley Bailey, Grace Mappes, Angelica Evans, Kateryna Stepanenko, and George Barros.
See the original here.
To suggest a correction or clarification, write to us here
You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter
You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter
In October Kazakhstan offered 117 old Soviet-era combat aircraft for sale by auction and it has now been reported that the US has bought 81 of them through offshore intermediaries.
Apr. 28
Comments ( 1)
If Ukraine had the ammo as they have shown Ukraine can defend themselves. While the Russians are occupied other countries have the breathing room to supply what Ukraine needs. What people need to understand is if Russia conquers then the cost of defence will be greater as Russia will then posses western arms such as patriot Abraham's f16s . Russia has made it blatantly obvious that it will not stop unless it is stopped. Russia appears to have the upper hand at present simply because of western hesitation . Hopefully they will overreach their bridgeheads so that when fresh supplies reach Ukraine those advances can be reversed.