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citizenship, Bloomberg reports. Cuban volunteers join the Russian armed forces through informal channels, and the total number involved in Russia's war in Ukraine is "likely in the low hundreds," the source said.
Nato believes Ukraine can launch a counteroffensive and believes in its ultimate victory over Russia. US President Joe Biden is convinced that Ukraine can stop the Russian dictator, Putin. He stated this at a solemn event on Nato's 75th anniversary. "We know that Putin will not stop at Ukraine, but Ukraine can and will stop Putin," Biden said. Meanwhile, a high-ranking Nato official is convinced that Ukraine will proceed to offensive operations given the significant supply of weapons, the changing situation on the battlefield, and good weather conditions. However, he emphasized that Russia is ready to "continue and even expand military operations" and that "We must be ready to continue supporting Ukraine even after 2025. It will take years of selfless efforts to prevent Russia from gaining the upper hand." At the same time, according to the ex-commander of Polish ground forces, Jaroslaw Kraszewski, F-16 aircraft will allow Ukraine to create conditions for a counterattack. "When the Russians begin to suffer significant losses due to airstrikes, ATACMS missiles, etc., Putin himself will propose peace negotiations," he emphasized.
As Russia pushes on multiple fronts, cracks are appearing in Ukraine’s defences. Russian troops have stormed settlements on the outskirts of Toretsk, north of Donetsk, creating a new crisis for the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU). The Ukrainian command is scrambling to find reserves to close the defence gaps, redeploying units of the 95th Air Assault Brigade from the Kupyansk front to the Toretsk area. The Ukrainian army is also facing a crisis on the Kupyansk front, where Russian forces are advancing toward the Oskil River. This river is crucial for supplying AFU forces positioned on a large bridgehead on the borders of Ukraine’s Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions, and now this supply line is at risk. Additionally, Russian troops are continuing their offensive north of Toretsk, around Chasiv Yar, and to the west, on the Avdiivka front. These developments suggest difficult months ahead for the Ukrainian army; currently, the AFU lack sufficient forces to halt the Russian attacks. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian command is continuing to move reserves to Kharkiv and Vovchansk with the ultimate, though distant, goal of pushing the Russian army back across the region’s border with Russia, thereby freeing up forces for other fronts.
The news from the frontline is becoming more positive for the first time in the last 10 months in July. Our soldiers who are fighting in the first line of defence confirm that the Ukrainian disadvantage in shells and other ammunition has decreased significantly. The number of drones they are receiving is also constantly increasing. According to our soldiers, Western aid is gradually arriving at the front and making a big difference. This has contributed to the Russian military's recent losses; for the last three months, the enemy has been losing between 30,000-40,000 soldiers every month. The Russian losses are enormous, but they still have lots of ammunition, tanks,
73 RUSSIA Country Report August 2024 www.intellinews.com