Ukraine readies for new Russian offensive push
Semafor Signals
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Insights from the BBC and The Wall Street Journal
The News
Ukraine is bracing for a fresh offensive by Russia. As spring approaches, and following Russia’s successful seizure of the city of Avdiivka last month, Ukrainians are preparing for a new onslaught along the war’s eastern front.
Western aid has stalled, and Kyiv has scrambled to pull together enough ammunition for its troops.
SIGNALS
Russia takes hold of more cities after Avdiivka capture
Russia has pushed further west after its success in Avdiivka, taking more towns along the front. Donetsk, a region in the east that is home to about 4 million Ukrainians, has seen the crux of the fighting and has come under heavy bombardment in recent weeks. Residents face near-constant shelling, the BBC reported. Those who have stayed in the area said they’ve lost hope that the West will provide the support they need to remain. “Should its Russian invaders gain more momentum in the Donetsk region, the question of where they will stop will be increasingly difficult to answer,” the BBC’s James Waterhouse wrote.
Ukraine digs trenches in hopes of fending off advance
Ukrainian troops have been fortifying their frontlines with trenches in an attempt to stave off Russia’s advancements. The government has allocated about $800 million for the construction, The Wall Street Journal reported. The Ukrainians are trying to replicate the complicated obstacles that the Russians constructed last year — a network that effectively stymied Ukraine’s planned counteroffensive. So far, however, the plan hasn’t gone far enough to stop Russian forces from progressing. “The lack of layered defenses along the front line should be of some concern for Ukraine,” one defense analyst told the Journal. “The situation will get quite critical for the Ukrainian forces.”
