Russia Shells Ukrainian Cities Due to Failed Frontline Advance, Expert Explains

Russia has failed to implement its strategic offensive operation and is now striking Ukrainian cities with missiles and drones. The lack of progress on the front lines is motivating the Kremlin to intensify terrorist attacks on peaceful cities and towns. This tactic is not new; its goal is to break and demoralise the Ukrainian people, said military expert Pavlo Lakiychuk, head of security projects at the Strategy XXI Global Studies Centre.

The Gaze reports on this with reference to FREEDOM TV channel broadcast.

According to the expert, the situation on the front line remains difficult. The main enemy attacks are directed at the Donetsk region.

"Unfortunately, the Russians are indeed successful. Look at the Pokrovsk-Kostiantynivka direction. There is an attack on the highway between these cities, which complicates our logistics. And there is a partial advance on the rear and flank of the Ukrainian forces in Toretsk and in the Chasiv Yar area. The Russians have not taken Pokrovsk, but they continue to try to encircle the city from three sides. The situation in the Novopavlivka direction is also difficult," the spokesman said.

However, according to him, the Russian Federation's strategic offensive operation cannot be considered successful. After all, as the expert explained, a strategic offensive operation is not just a series of battles and breakthroughs in separate areas, but a comprehensive application of forces.

"It's all about battles, movements, logistics, and rear areas, which are united by two main parameters: time, place, goals, and objectives. Breaking through the enemy's defences, entering the operational space, reaching certain lines — that's when the task is accomplished. Preparations for the next offensive begin, and the transition to a defensive operation. The Russians cannot accomplish this task. They were unable to accomplish it within the specified time frame. They were unable to accomplish it then and are still unable to accomplish it now," Lakiychuk emphasised.

The Russians are unable to achieve their goals because the Ukrainian Defence Forces are conducting their own strategic defensive operation. Its main task is to thwart the enemy's plans.

"If you have a planned operation, involving a number of forces, reserves and other resources, including ammunition, fuel and lubricants, all of this is directed towards carrying out the operation. When the breakthrough of the defence is delayed, ammunition is wasted, personnel are wasted, and offensive potential is lost. In fact, given the resources that have been expended, it is clear that the attacker will not achieve its goals," the guest emphasised.

The expert recalled that a number of Western publications have run headlines about the failure of Russia's summer offensive, but this does not mean that the Russians will not succeed.

‘In order for them not to succeed, the Ukrainian Defence Forces need to work very hard. In order to achieve the goals and objectives of our strategic defence operation — to deprive the enemy of its offensive potential and move on to the next defensive task. Or, as a rule, move on to a counter-offensive operation,’ said Pavlo Lakiychuk.

He also recalled that an integral part of war is massive attacks in the rear.

"If you cannot succeed on the front line, then you must succeed in the enemy's rear. This doctrine has existed since the beginning of the 20th century. One Italian general believed: ‘Give me 20,000 bombs and 10 days, and I will win the war not through battles on the battlefield, but through the bombing of settlements in the enemy's rear.’ From a modern point of view, this is a terrorist war, the goal of which is to demoralise the population without achieving success on the battlefield. To force the country to capitulate and agree to their terms as a result of the despair of the people. The occupiers have been following this strategy since the beginning of their large-scale invasion of Ukraine. For four years, they have been trying to demoralise us and force us to surrender," the expert explained.

However, according to him, Putin does not understand that Ukrainians cannot be broken in this way. Nevertheless, Russian generals continue to routinely escalate these efforts.

‘If we disregard the number of strikes in the aggressor's first massive missile and air strike in February-March 2022, then 2025 will obviously be a record year,’ the military expert concluded.