The front is stabilized for now, and several international conferences are intended to give Ukraine support. How this war could end without the country collapsing.
Far in the east of Ukraine, somewhere in the narrow strip between Kharkiv, the country’s second largest city, and the nearby Russian border, Andriy, 25, nicknamed “Engineer”, sits in a farmhouse. The Kalashnikov hangs on the wall behind the bed, and in front of him is a laptop. It receives information about the enemy positions: target coordinates for his unit. Andriy is the commander of an artillery battery in the 92nd Brigade of the Ukrainian Army. From a position nearby, the men under his command fire at the Russian attackers.
They are doing this with increasing success these days. Since they have been allowed to target the Russians on their own territory not only with the ancient Soviet-made guns, but also with their M109 self-propelled howitzer made in the USA. Last Thursday, Andriy’s troops destroyed a Russian artillery piece across the border. The day before, they had hit a tank and a command post from which the enemy was controlling drones. “Now the Russians are moving their positions further away from the border,” says Andriy. The Russian offensive on Kharkiv, which began in early May, appears to have stopped.
Is this a turning point in this war? Can the defenders of Ukraine, whose situation seemed extremely precarious until recently, breathe a little easier? Now that Paris, Washington and Berlin have allowed them to use Western weapons against targets on Russian territory. Now that the supply of ammunition and new, longer-range missiles seems to be secured for the rest of the year thanks to the US’s $60 billion package.
Does the reinforcement bring a negotiated solution within reach? Even something like peace?
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
