Russia’s invasion which had started on February 24, 2022 and has only lasted a handful of months has already had a major impact around the world in more ways than one.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has gotten the whole world on notice. In Ukraine’s eastern region the war seems to be hitting a crucial phase as more and more Russian troops are massed and deployed across the eastern side of Ukraine. Ukrainian forces have had to deal with constant rocket and artillery fire for weeks even before the second attack from Russian ground forces began. 

As of Wednesday, April 27, the Ukrainian armed forces have stated that they have lost territory in two separate areas of importance, do to the sheer amount of Russian forces that have been deployed in the area and the long front lines the Ukrainian military is tasked to defend. Along with this, the Russian forces have seemed to have improved in their tactics since the start of the war, which in result has seen them be more affective on the battlefield.

As of right now the Ukrainian forces are trying to defend a slow three sided ever decreasing pocket in the East, and with their only supply line coming from the West. The possibility and risk of the Russian forces if they make more progress in this part of Ukraine is that some of Ukraine’s best units in their army could get cut off from these crucial supplies if they don’t maintain land and air-power. 

Russia on Wednesday has now deployed cruise missile units along with two more battalions of the 76th Airborne Assult Division, that were previously stationed in the Russian city of Belgorod, to the Ukrainian area known as Izium. 

The Kremlin (the Russian government in the capital city of Moscow) has stated that their main focus and tactical targets for this second assault is to secure all of Donetsk and Luhansk which can then connect them with Crimea, which is Russian territory and with the coast of Ukraine. 

Christopher Granville the managing director of global political research and EMEA had this to say about the attack in the East “It seems to me that this is the biggest single piece of news since the war began”. “I thought it at the time, and I haven’t changed my mind since then”. This was a big move for Russia to take all its forces and reroute them to the east in a more focused attack against Ukraine even with this Russia has still been struggling with capturing important objectives and key cities. 

Urban warfare has been a major struggle for the Russian soldiers on the ground do to the fact that these cities and towns are so well defended with trench lines, bunkers, and roadblocks causing massive losses of Russian vehicles and troops.

That’s why Russia has been sticking to its old tactics since WW2, in which they heavily rely on rockets and long range artillery. Before Russian ground forces advance into villages, towns, and cities these places are pummeled by these long range weapons sometimes for weeks in order to soften up the built up Ukrainian defenses. 

This war may have just started but it seems like it’s not ending anytime soon. With the whole world watching and many different western countries supporting Ukraine and the ruthlessness of the Russian military the outcome of this war will for now be uncertain.