Will Russian army attack Kharkiv again?

[shoshi]

The Russian offensive against Kharkiv failed but they are hitting the city with rockets and artillery so do they plan to try again? If this is softening up bombardment they should have done that before the first offensive. Did they simply underestimate the defenses of Kharkiv?

 

[shoshi]

 

[para bellum]

Yes, they do plan to take another run at Kharkiv, at least that's the general consensus.

They are trying to assemble the BTG's right now. A third BTG from each Reg't/Bde is a stretch- they are only intended to support two.

The formations they are assembling are substandard to what they've even used up to now. Maybe 50% force strength on paper- made up of reservists, Rosgvardia, remnants of other formations, L/DNR militia, etc. Very ad-hoc. None of them have done any training together as a unit.

 

[ESay]

It is a complex question what the Russians will do after the battle of Donbas is over. Kharkiv and Odesa are claimed to be their main goals. Kharkiv is an 'easier' variant, because it is located near Russian border, so logistics will be on Russian side.

To take Odesa, the Russians will have to go hundreds of kilometres and spread their troops and communications. But taking Odesa offers significant bonus - a land bridge to Transnistria.

As for now, Ukrainian officials claim there is no imminent danger for Kharkiv and that the Russians can't take the city. What will be in a month, the time will show.

Except of that, the Putin regime is trying to drag Belarus into war with Ukraine. To make Ukrainian army open the second front and relocate significant number of troops to the North.