Index – Abroad – Russia’s war in Ukraine – Index’s Wednesday news summary

Ukrainian forces, far outnumbered and outgunned by Russian forces, are trying to hold Khasiv Yar to await the arrival of fresh weapons from the United States. The city, located on a hill above Bahmut, is a valuable strategic asset, reports The Wall Street Journal.

The paper adds that if Ukraine loses the city, the Russian army will gain fire control over Druzskovka, Kramatorsk and Konstantinovka.

“For every artillery shell that Ukraine fires, Russia fires 10, and the ratio is getting worse, according to the military. On the front line, which stretches across the fields and villages east of Chasiv Yar, the Russians are suffering heavy losses but are steadily advancing. Inside the city, Moscow destroys buildings where Ukrainians can take refuge, using the same strategy that Russia used in Bakhmut, except that in Khasiv Yar they can do it much faster with the help of glide bombs,” the newspaper reports.

As they write, Ukrainian commanders say they can still hold off the Russians, and the weapons they received from the United States give Ukraine a better chance of holding onto its territory. At the same time, the Ukrainian armed forces face other problems that cannot be solved by American aid.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Ukrainian troops are exhausted after months of continuous fighting and Kiev does not have enough men to replace them. As a result, the stay at the combat positions, which should last for five days, can last for 10 or 15 days.

“During this time, soldiers sometimes run out of food, water and medicine. Combat drones exploit vehicles transporting materiel and fresh supplies to the front lines. Soldiers with treatable injuries wait days to be evacuated because no one can reach them,” The Wall Street Journal reports.