As reported by local authorities in the Makariv town, west of Kyiv, Ukrainian forces have again gained momentum. They are now giving a befitting reply to the Russian forces.
Ukrainian troops are also pushing back against the rebels’ gains in some areas of the south, according to a US Department of Defense representative.
In the tiny Southern Russian town of Voznesensk, the Red Army was driven back and an armored caravan destroyed.
In the eastern section of Donetsk, Ukrainian troops are attempting to reclaim lost ground near the Crimean Peninsula and Ukraine’s first city to fall to Russia, Kherson.
A military expert in the United Kingdom told the BBC that the resistance may force Moscow to alter its strategy.
Russian troops, according to the latest assessment by the UK Ministry of Defence, are moving in from the north and south to “envelop Ukrainian forces in the east of the country.”
According to this dispatch, “before resuming large-scale offensive operations, Russian forces may be re-organizing.”
Russian forces are also continuing to pound the southern port city of Mariupol, although it is reported that damage has been minimal in the port area itself.
The Ukrainians’ harsh response, according to the UK’s Royal United Services Institute (Rusi), came as the Russians were attempting to make up for their lack of progress thus far.
“The Russians clearly haven’t managed to take the whole of Ukraine in a single push,” he said.
“So now they’re attempting to pull back their efforts and concentrate them on one push at a time, in particular around Mariupol and the south.”
The report’s author said that if the Russians capture Mariupol, a town that has been under siege for weeks and is running out of resources, they may choose to distribute troops and ammunition first to Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region and perhaps even Kharkiv, the northern-eastern city.
But, he added, as Ukraine pushes back Russian troops around Irpin close to Kyiv and other towns along with Makariv, it might slow down Moscow’s efforts to take the city.
On Tuesday, the Pentagon offered additional information on Ukraine’s counter-offensive, reporting that it has detected a rise in recent days in indications that Russians are being driven out of regions they had previously controlled.
John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesperson, said he was unable to verify reports from Ukrainian officials that they had retaken at least one town and expected to take more in the days ahead.
But he added, “It would be consistent with the sort of fighting and capabilities we’ve seen Ukrainians employ.”
Russian military officials have claimed that their air campaign has “stalled” and that they are running out of fuel, food, and ammunition.
There were also coordination difficulties between air and ground forces, with some Russian fighters using mobile phones to communicate with one other, according to Mr Kirby.
Some Russian troops had been afflicted with frostbite because they were not wearing enough cold-weather gear for the region, according to a Defense Department source.
According to the official, Russian forces inside Ukraine have now dwindled to 90% of their full combat strength owing to casualties and other difficulties.
