The New York Times spoke with various analysts and came to the conclusion that the new offensive of the Russian army in the Kharkiv region could turn into a very "serious test" not only for the soldiers of the Armed Forces, but also for the civilian population.
The Kremlin wants to undermine the morale of Ukrainians
Most Western analysts are inclined to believe that the new invasion of the Russian Federation on the territory of the Kharkiv region may be part of a cunning Russian strategy.
There is a high probability that the Kremlin simply wants to draw the Ukrainian army away from other directions of the front in order to weaken its defenses in the Donetsk region.
Retired Australian General Mick Ryan predicted that the coming weeks will be very gloomy for the Ukrainian ground forces because the Russians are intensifying their offensive in various areas of the front and trying to deceive the Armed Forces.
Although the attacks seem small in scale at the moment, their goal is to undermine the morale of Ukrainians, both civilians and military, the expert believes.
In his opinion, if Ukrainian soldiers decide to hold their positions at any cost, they will lose even more personnel.
This could become a serious test and one of the most difficult moments for Ukraine in the war, writes The New York Times.
Russia has almost no chance of capturing Kharkiv
According to Western military experts, Russian invaders are unlikely to reach the streets of Kharkiv since the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have carefully planned the defence around the city.
What is important to understand is that Ukrainian forces have dug kilometres of trenches lined with barbed wire, mines and countless small cement pyramids that block tanks, or "dragon's teeth", as the local military call them.
Ukrainian officials, starting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, also indicate that they are rushing reinforcements. However, Ukraine should be careful in its actions, given the exhaustion of its armed forces. Supplies from the long-awaited American aid package are just beginning to arrive on the front line, the publication writes.
