Although the Kremlin continues to convey to the West the message of an inevitable victory, the reality on the front suggests a completely different picture. The extremely slow pace of the Russian army’s advance suggests a deep crisis of military strategy, and under current conditions, Moscow would need over three decades to fully occupy the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, reports The New York Times.
Total control over Donbas remains one of the main conditions imposed by Russia for accepting a ceasefire.
“The gray zone” blocking the offensive
According to the American publication, the Russian army has not yet found an efficient solution for the offensive in a war dominated by drones. Classic tactics, based on massive attacks with armored vehicles and infantry, have lost their effectiveness, and the conflict has transformed into a technological confrontation.
Under these circumstances, more and more “gray zones” have appeared on the front — territories where both armies are present, but without full control from either of them.
To avoid losses caused by Ukrainian FPV drones, the Russians have changed their tactics:
-I use very small infantry groups, sometimes formed of only two soldiers;
-maintain large distances between soldiers to avoid simultaneous strikes;
-use motorcycles instead of heavy machinery, especially in dry weather, to increase mobility.
Technological issues and logistic chaos
Despite the formation of an elite drone operating unit — “Rubikon” — the Russian army is facing serious difficulties.
The loss of access to Starlink satellite internet, previously used for drone coordination, has significantly affected the communication and synchronization capabilities of operations.
In parallel, the restrictions imposed by the Kremlin itself on the Telegram app, the main communication channel of the Russian soldiers on the front, have amplified the logistical chaos and coordination problems.
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