Russia Deploys Nearly Entire Army in Ukraine, But Struggles to Advance, UK Says

As Ukraine prepares to mark the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion, the United Kingdom’s Defense Secretary, Ben Wallace, has warned that Russia has deployed nearly its entire army in Ukraine, with estimates suggesting that 97% of the Russian army is now on Ukrainian soil. Despite the increased pressure, Russia has struggled to achieve a breakthrough, with Ukrainian officials reporting that their forces are managing to hold back the Russian advances.

Wallace stated that the Russians were attempting to advance on all fronts, but there has not yet been a massing of a single force to deliver a big offensive. Instead, the Russian forces have launched multiple attacks, causing significant damage to the Russian army. Western officials anticipate that the Ukrainian army will launch a counteroffensive in the spring, once they have had the opportunity to build up their forces and prepare for the assault.

While the situation in Ukraine remains highly volatile, with fierce fighting ongoing in many areas, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed confidence that the Russian army’s capacity to mount a broader offensive is being depleted through the ongoing battles. In his nightly address to the nation, Zelensky stated that the most significant destruction of Russian potential is taking place in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

As Kyiv prepares for the next phase of the conflict, the United States and other allies have been holding talks on boosting supplies to Ukraine. Discussions have been taking place around the provision of tanks, as well as air-defense systems and training to improve Ukrainian tactics and coordination. An immediate priority is the provision of munitions, as Ukrainian troops have been firing vast numbers of rounds at the invading Russian forces over the past year.

While Russia continues to pour additional troops into the fight, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has noted that these forces are ill-trained and ill-equipped. The Russian military-industrial output is also struggling to keep pace with the war, with the country’s President, Vladimir Putin, criticizing the deputy prime minister responsible for the defense industry in a televised meeting last month.

As the world watches to see what the next phase of the conflict will bring, Russia’s upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, will hold a meeting on February 22, one day after Putin’s state of the nation address, as the world awaits developments in the ongoing conflict.