UKRAINE: THE SITUATION 784 - APRIL 16, 2024

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasizes that Ukraine is not able to effectively defend itself against Russian air attacks and ground offensives due to the ongoing lack of air defense systems and artillery.

In an interview with PBS News Hour, which aired on April 15, Zelensky explained that the Ukrainian armed forces still do not have enough air defense systems to protect Ukraine's critical infrastructure. Zelensky pointed out that the Ukrainian armed forces were only able to destroy the first seven of the eleven Russian missiles fired at the Trypilska nuclear power plant on April 11 before running out of air defense missiles.

Zelensky signed a new mobilization law on April 16, making a difficult but important decision as part of Ukraine's efforts to stabilize its military apparatus and properly structure the Ukrainian armed forces both defensively and offensively.

The Russian army in eastern Ukraine is carrying out its attacks with smaller groups and reportedly still struggling with combat morale issues, but it is unlikely that Russian attacks will peak in the near future despite all the challenges, as the Ukrainian armed forces lack material.

A Russian Storm-S instructor suggested that the Russian armed forces should capitalize on the disadvantages caused by Ukrainian material shortages to intensify Russian glide bomb attacks in support of Russian ground operations.

The full Russian Offensive Update 784 is available directly from UNDERSTANDING WAR.

UNDERSTANDING WAR