Russians are losing offensive potential — ISW explains why

Russian invaders are exhausted, and their army is losing its offensive potential. This is due to the significant losses the enemy has sustained while attempting to break through Ukrainian defenses in several directions.

This was reported by the Institute for the Study of War.

Russians suffer heavy losses

A few months ago, in preparation for the summer offensive, the Russian military command amassed a powerful operational group of up to 70 thousand personnel. This group was to attack in the northern Kharkiv region and support the offensive on Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region.

However, according to ISW analysts, the grueling battles of recent months have significantly depleted Russian reserves. A large portion of these reserves was spent on the failed offensive in the Kharkiv region, intensifying attacks on Pokrovsk, and in the western part of the Donetsk region. Additionally, the Russians had to respond to a Ukrainian operation in the Kursk region.

"The current Russian offensive operation of the summer of 2024 will likely to culminate in the coming weeks and months. However, Russian forces may continue to conduct offensive operations at a much slower pace across Ukraine," reads the ISW report.

According to ISW experts, they hope that consistent offensive pressure will prevent the Ukrainian Armed Forces from building up the manpower and resources necessary to seize the initiative across the entire theater of operations.

In addition to severe losses in manpower, the Russians are suffering heavy losses in armored vehicles, which may force them to reconsider their offensive tactics.

Previously, we reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed changes to Russia’s nuclear deterrence doctrine, expanding the reasons for the use of nuclear weapons. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that such statements are manipulative, aimed at influencing the West.

It should be noted that Ukraine has taken several important measures to address manpower shortages in the Armed Forces. However, delays and insufficient Western military aid continue to limit its ability to form effective combat units.