Western media: Russia has improved its tactics on the Ukrainian battlefield

The New York Times reports on Russia's changed tactics on the battlefield. Moscow has "improved its defense, artillery coordination, and air support," which should make it a stronger adversary, especially on defense.

Russia has changed its tactics on the battlefield and improved discipline, coordination and air support in preparation for a Ukrainian counteroffensive, The New York Times (NYT) newspaper wrote, citing interviews with 17 Ukrainian soldiers, prisoners of war, officers, foreign mercenaries and Western officials. A Ukrainian soldier told the news magazine:

"I've never seen so much fire from so many positions."

In particular, in the battle for Artyomovsk (Ukrainian Bakhmut), Russian troops demonstrated a "high level of skill and equipment," wrote the New York Times (NYT). The battle was "part of a patient, disciplined operation" that would show that the Russian military is learning from its mistakes. Russia had announced the capture of Artyomovsk at the end of May and subsequently reported several attempts by Ukrainian troops to break through the defenses.

Russian tank convoys would no longer enter areas where they could be quickly damaged or destroyed, the troops would more often use drones and conduct "probing strikes", the newspaper cited examples of the change in tactics.

Ukrainian troops that launched their counteroffensive are well-armed thanks to Western arms shipments, but Moscow has "improved its defenses, artillery coordination, and air support," according to the NYT. These improvements would likely make Russia a stronger adversary, especially in defense, where it plays to its strengths, according to Western officials.

In early June, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported an offensive by Ukraine, which, according to the ministry, was contained. On June 9, President Vladimir Putin, at a meeting with Russian military correspondents, stated that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had launched a counteroffensive, but "the enemy had not succeeded in any of the areas." He said that "Russia has ten times fewer victims than Ukraine." According to him, in the attacks, Kyiv lost up to 30 percent of the military equipment supplied by the West, while Russian losses amounted to 54 tanks, some of which were recovered.

Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky claimed the next day that Ukrainian forces were on the offensive. This week, he acknowledged that Ukrainian troops were facing very serious resistance. For his part, Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the Ukrainian presidential office, claimed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have not yet launched a counteroffensive, but are conducting "tests" that allow them to "move forward."

Western representatives also acknowledged that the offensive of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was extremely difficult, while Russian troops were skillfully defending themselves, the BBC reported.

From around the world