The Russian army has not achieved its strategic objectives on the battlefield in Ukraine.
This is stated in a report by the Intelligence Center of the Estonian Defense Forces, as reported by ERR.
“Despite enormous efforts and heavy losses, Russia has not achieved any of its strategic objectives,” the intelligence center said in its summary.
According to the report, developments on the battlefield in the Russia–Ukraine war last week were characterized by a slight decrease in the intensity of military activity.
At the same time, Ukrainian medium-range strikes have increased problems in Crimea and other occupied territories. However, Moscow continues to refuse negotiations with Ukraine on any terms other than its own, the report says.
“The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, in his public address to the President of the Russian Federation, described the changed reality of the war and called on Russians to engage in negotiations. In response, Putin stated that he currently sees no point in such a meeting. According to the Russian leader, Russian forces control 100% of Luhansk region, 80% of Donetsk region, and are able to advance daily,” the Estonian intelligence center noted.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed his country’s position.
The Estonian intelligence center said that around 250 combat engagements per day were recorded on average at the front line last week. This matches the level of intensity from three weeks earlier. Over the week, Russian forces reportedly captured about 15 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory.
At the same time, according to the intelligence report, Russian armed forces suffered an average of 1,400 personnel losses per day.
Ukrainian forces conducted counterattacks in the Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions. Some advances were also recorded in the Borova direction in Kharkiv region and in the western part of Zaporizhzhia region.
The report also says that Ukrainian forces continued intensive medium-range strikes on Russian military facilities and supply routes up to 300 kilometers from the front line.
These strikes led the occupation authorities in Luhansk region to introduce temporary restrictions on civilian traffic along the Bilhorod–Mariupol and Rostov-on-Don–Simferopol highways. Commuter train services were also suspended on four railway sections.
The intelligence center explained that due to Ukrainian attacks in Crimea, restrictions have been introduced on fuel sales to private individuals. The number of public transport routes serving the population has also decreased.
“During the week, Ukraine twice struck the Chongar Bridge to complicate Russian logistical supply lines in Crimea and the southern front. As a result, traffic along this route to Crimea was halted, creating additional logistical difficulties for the Russian authorities,” the report said.
The center added that Russia’s Ministry of Energy was forced to acknowledge that Ukrainian strikes on oil industry facilities have caused fuel supply difficulties in several southern regions of the country. A coordination headquarters was created in Russia to address these issues.
