UKRAINE, KHARKIV OBLAST, July 26 — Russian troops will no longer be able to conduct active assaults in many directions at once and will go on the defensive, Oleksandr Pivnenko, the commander of the National Guard of Ukraine, said in an interview with Ukrinform.

Russia started its new offensive north and northeast in the Kharkiv region in May, but Ukrainian troops have stabilized the frontline in this section since. Now, heavy battles are ongoing in and around Vovchansk (three miles from the border, 46 miles away from Kharkiv) and near Lyptsi (six miles from the border, 12 miles from Kharkiv.)

Pivnenko noted that Russia’s offensive capabilities are not unlimited. They have already suffered many losses, so they’ll change their tactics and go on defense in a month, Pivnenko believes. According to the commander, Ukraine has to form and train units during this time.

He also commented on the data from Western analysts, which showed that the situation with fortifications in Ukraine is finally improving. Pivnenko said that when you are on the defense, you must dig in, and dig in deep.

“There are defense lines and the fortifications that the soldiers and our engineering units make themselves. If a position is properly equipped, it has a much better chance of survival. We also need reserve positions. When we drove the enemy out of the Kharkiv region (in 2022), our brigade’s defense line was about 70 km long. But we brought in materials, equipped and strengthened our positions,” the NGU commander said.

He added that Ukraine will survive in any case. The most important things that can be done now, Pivnenko believes, are training, developing military training centers, procuring weapons, developing military equipment, drones, armored vehicles, air defense systems, portable air defense systems, and ammunition.

Oleksandr Syrskyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said in an interview with the Guardian published on July 24 that as of 2024, the Russian army has twice as much equipment as Ukraine’s, but despite this, Ukraine stopped the new Russian offensive on Kharkiv. 

According to Syrskyi, the Russian units engaged in the Russian-Ukrainian war now include 520,000 people, and they plan to increase this number to 690,000. 

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