Russia steps up attacks in Ukraine as US aid still on its way, Estonian General Staff says

Colonel Mart Vendla, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Estonian Defence Forces, believes that Russia has increased the intensity of its attacks in Ukraine, trying to seize more territory before US military aid arrives in Ukraine.

Source: European Pravda, citing Estonian public broadcaster ERR

Details: Vendla said Russia is trying to take advantage of the window of opportunity before Western aid arrives in Ukraine. However, the progress of Russian forces is local, and no major breakthrough is expected.

Russian troops are most active on the Donetsk front, where the fighting revolves around the town of Chasiv Yar.

There are no signs of the town's imminent fall, though the colonel added that considering the previous series of very intense bombardments of towns such as Bakhmut, it is possible that Chasiv Yar will fall.

In addition, Russian troops are on the offensive near the war-torn towns of Avdiivka and Marinka. Vendla noted that no significant changes have been observed on the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson fronts, with Ukrainian forces continuing to hold a foothold on the left (east) bank of the Dnipro River near the village of Krynky.

Background: Earlier, Avril Haines, Director of the US National Intelligence, indicated that Russia would resort to aggressive tactics in the war in Ukraine, given that domestic and international events are developing in its favour.

On 25 April, the US expressed hope that new US military aid, unblocked after a decision by Congress, would help the Ukrainian Armed Forces eventually regain the initiative on the battlefield, but a large-scale Ukrainian offensive is unlikely any time soon.

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