Russian troops recently advanced into western Zaporizhzhia and recaptured positions that Ukrainian forces captured during a counteroffensive in the summer of 2023, presumably after Kyiv forces withdrew to more defensible positions near Robotiv in the winter, the Institute for the Study of War estimates.

Geolocated images released on December 14 and 27 show that Russian troops have recently advanced west of Verbovoy (9 km east of Robotine).

The commander of the Tavry group of Ukrainian forces, Brigadier General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, said in an interview with the BBC published on Wednesday that Russian leaders want to capture at least Avdiyivka, but have a more ambitious goal of capturing all of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and recapturing the territories that Russian forces lost in Zaporizhzhia region during the counteroffensive of Ukrainian troops.

The Ukrainian capture of nearby positions in August 2023 was of tactical importance, as it could allow Ukrainian forces to begin operating beyond the densest Russian minefields and further Russian defense layers, ISW analysts say.

Currently, the American think tank does not consider the recapture of these positions by Russian troops to be particularly significant.

However, recent Russian successes in the western Zaporizhia region confirm ISW’s assessment that the current war of attrition in Ukraine is not a stable stalemate, as the current balance can be tipped either way by decisions made in the West or in Russia, and is limited by Moscow. The benefits could be significant, especially if the West cuts military aid to Ukraine, ISW notes.

The US will send Ukraine the last tranche of available aid without a second vote in the US Congress

The head of German diplomacy, Annalena Berbock, recently reaffirmed her country’s commitment to continue supporting Ukraine and said that Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to “destroy” the country through an invasion launched almost two years ago, dpa reports.

Germany is one of the main supporters of Ukraine in this conflict. After the US, Berlin is the second largest supplier of military aid to Ukraine, including battle tanks, heavy artillery and air defense systems.

Germany has transferred additional military aid to Ukraine, including tank ammunition, mine clearance equipment and anti-aircraft guns, the government announced in Berlin last week, The Kyiv Independent reported.

The United States announced on Wednesday the allocation of $250 million in military aid to Ukraine, the last tranche available without a second vote in the US Congress, AFP noted.

According to Anthony Blinken, the aid is aimed at arms and equipment, including anti-aircraft munitions and artillery ammunition.

President Joe Biden has asked Congress for an additional $61 billion in aid to Ukraine, but Republicans are refusing to approve the aid without an agreement with Democrats to strengthen security on the US-Mexico border.

The White House warned that without an additional allocation by the end of the year, the US assistance to Ukraine in the fight to return the territory occupied by Russian troops will end.

Not voting for the additional funds would be the “best gift” given to the Russian president, Biden added, saying that if the Kremlin leader succeeds in taking over Ukraine, “he won’t stop there,” Biden said.