Ukraine has said Russia has suffered “colossal losses” in its struggle to seize the Donbas region.
The Kremlin’s troops have been focusing their attack on eastern Ukraine – where Moscow has the backing of separatists – since losing the battle for Kyiv.
They have since been dampened by the wet weather that made them easy targets for the Ukrainian army, according to Western officials.
Volodymyr Zelensky’s presidential adviser, Oleksiy Arestovych, said on Friday: “We have serious losses, but the Russians’ losses are much greater. They have colossal losses.”
A Pentagon staffer who assisted in compiling the report stated that “Russian forces are making slow and unequal progress in Donbass.”
This has been blamed on Russia’s “logistics and maintenance challenges”.
US and UK say slow progress means Russian victory unlikely by May 9 (Image: Getty) Muddy ground means Russian tanks must be based on the streets (Image: Getty)
The official added: “As it starts to rain more and there is more mud, it will make them more and more dependent on paved roads and paved highways and we would expect some of their progress to slow down, honestly, mud and weather.” .
Vladimir Putin is said to be hoping for some kind of victory in Ukraine by May 9 – when Russia celebrates its “victory” parade.
Indeed, the Kremlin recently staged a demonstration of its new intercontinental ballistic missile – nicknamed “Satan II” – developed as a replacement for its Cold War equipment.
But British Armed Forces Secretary James Hippe said it was unlikely Russia would gain much ground by that point.
He told BBC Radio 4: “If they are going to try to achieve anything by May 9, they will be forced to stay on the streets because the mud does not allow them to maneuver outside the country.
“What we will see, then, are large-flowing Russian columns, which, as we have seen north of Kiev, present the Ukrainians with quite easy options.”
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