Russian military expands use of mechanized ground assaults, scaling up in number and scope – ISW
Photo: Facebook / General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces
According to analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the Russians are stepping up the quantity and intensity of their mechanized ground attacks in certain areas of the front in Ukraine.
ISW reports this.
Experts indicate that over the past two weeks, Russian forces appear to have increased the number and scale of mechanized ground assaults on some regions of the front, indicating a marked overall increase in the number of Russian mechanized assaults across the entire theater of operations.
Analysts add:
"Russian forces may be intensifying the overall tempo of their offensive operations in Ukraine."
The intensification of Russian mechanized assaults occurs, as a rule, simultaneously with the increase of missile strikes and drone strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities.
In this regard, experts suggest that the Russian troops may increase their strikes to put further pressure on the Ukrainian command to deploy air defense systems outside the front lines so that it is safer for them to increase air operations to support ground operations.
Ukrainian sources continue to emphasize that the fragmented and delayed arrival of new Western systems in Ukraine will allow Russian forces to adapt and smooth out the likely operational advantages these systems could otherwise provide to Ukrainian forces.
So, Politico reported on April 3 that senior Ukrainian officers said that the new Western systems are arriving too late and in insufficient numbers to have the most effective operational impact on the battlefield.
In the event of a new Russian offensive in the summer, there is a significant risk that the front line will collapse.
ISW key findings as of April 3:
- Russian forces appear to have increased the number and size of mechanized ground assaults on select frontline sectors within the past two weeks, marking a notable overall increase in Russian mechanized assaults across the theater.
- Russian forces may be intensifying the overall tempo of their offensive operations in Ukraine.
- Ukrainian sources continue to stress that the piecemeal and delayed arrival of new Western systems to Ukraine will allow Russian forces to adapt to and offset the likely operational benefits these systems would otherwise provide to Ukrainian forces.
- The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) claimed that the March 22 Crocus City Hall attack has caused a significant increase in Russian contract service applicants amid reported Russian efforts to increase force generation this spring.
- Republic of Tatarstan Head Rustam Minnikhanov warned that Russian companies and local authorities must defend themselves against Ukrainian drone strikes and not rely on Russian air defenses following the April 2 Ukrainian strikes on Russian military production and oil refinery infrastructure in Tatarstan.
- Russian-backed former Ukrainian separatist politician Oleg Tsaryov complained on April 3 that no current Russian political party adequately represents the political interests of Russian ultranationalists, highlighting a possible source of discontent between the pro-Russian ultranationalist community and the Kremlin.
- Ukraine and Finland signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement on April 3.
- Russian forces recently made confirmed advances near Bakhmut and Donetsk City and in the Donetsk-Zaporizhzhia region border area.
- Russian authorities continue to expand social benefits for Russian military personnel.
For reference:
It's important to mention that the UN referred to the recent strike on facilities in Russian Tatarstan as an attack on civilian infrastructure. This strike hit the Shahed production plant and occurred on April 2. The UN urged Ukraine to cease all attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure.
