More than a month and a half ago, Russia invaded Ukraine, and Moscow still has not managed to accomplish nearly any of the objectives it once thought likely to be achieved in days.
Ukrainian forces and civilians throughout the country have banded together to defend themselves from Russian invaders with their own “bravery,” the leadership of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, training the military had received in recent years from Western countries, and the military aid those countries are now providing, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters on Wednesday.
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“There’s a lot of things that have gone into Ukrainians’ ability, thus far, to fight so well and so skillfully and to really beat back the Russians on so many multiple lines of axes, clearly. And you just have to say it because it’s true, [it’s] their own skill and bravery and courage and their willingness and ability to adapt in real-time to Russian tactics. I mean, they are skilled and courageous fighters, and you just can’t take that away from them,” the official explained.
Zelensky and top Ukrainian defense officials “still have effective command and control over their forces,” and they haven’t had “the challenges that the Russians” have experienced, the official added.
Russian forces had started their invasion attacking from the north in Belarus, then, to the south and east, but the first axis, heading toward Kyiv, failed, retreated, and left destruction in its wake. They faced logistic and supplies troubles, while some Russian conscripts sabotaged their own efforts.
Russian forces had captured various towns surrounding the capital, and with their retreat, the aftermath of the destruction is still being encountered daily. Bucha, one of these suburbs, had a mass grave filled with hundreds of bodies, while other civilians were found shot and killed with their wrists bound behind them. The uncovering of these atrocities led to international cries of war crimes, while Russia has denied that its forces were responsible for these killings.
Earlier this week, Ukraine’s prosecutor general’s office said it has begun investigating roughly 5,800 allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Russian forces, while the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe released a report on Wednesday that “found clear patterns of [international humanitarian law] violations by the Russian forces in their conduct of hostilities.”
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The U.S. official also mentioned the training the United States and United Kingdom militaries have done with Ukrainian forces in the years leading up to the present was “pivotal” to their success, in addition to the “profound impact” the billions of dollars of military aid they have received from more than 30 countries, including $1.7 billion from the United States with another $750 million expected to be allocated later this week.
