Putin Ally Rues Kharkiv Offensive Failures: 'Meat Grinder'

Russian propagandist and military blogger Alexander Kots has published a video on Moscow's current offensive into Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, suggesting high troop losses have been sustained so far.

Fierce clashes have been ongoing after the Kremlin's forces kick-started an offensive in the Kharkiv region on May 10, seizing a number of villages on Ukraine's northeastern frontier, and forcing thousands of civilians to flee.

Weighing in on the offensive, Russian military blogger Kots, who serves on the Kremlin's human-rights council, said in a video published Wednesday that the battle for the region should be given the label "meat grinder." The term describes prolonged battles, racked up high casualty counts and the loss of significant resources.

"As for how things are going in the Kharkiv direction, the enemy is trying to attack in Lyptsi, near Hlyboke, and in Vovchvansk. Here, there will be no such serious advances in the future," said Kots.

"As I have already said, the operation 'Ukrainian Meat Grinder' is underway here now," he added.

"Unfortunately, the enemy has begun to use American precision weapons on Belgorod, HIMARS in particular. This is war. The enemy is serious; he is evolving. It can't be avoided."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Russian losses during its Kharkiv offensive were eight times higher than Ukraine's. Newsweek could not independently verify the claim and has contacted Russia's Defense Ministry via email for comment.

Zelensky said on June 8 that Russia had failed in its Kharkiv region offensive.

"A very significant result is that the Russian army failed. The direction is strengthened. And it will be strengthened more," Zelensky said after a meeting with Ukraine's army chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), an independent U.S.-based think tank, said in its latest analysis of the conflict in Ukraine that fighting continued in northern Kharkiv region on Wednesday, but there were no confirmed changes to the front line.

"Ukrainian Kharkiv Group of Forces Spokesperson Colonel Yuriy Povkh and Ukrainian Kharkiv Oblast Head Oleh Synehubov noted that Ukrainian forces continue to 'block' a small group of Russian troops in the Vovchansk Aggregate Plant amid continued reports of heavy close-combat fighting within Vovchansk (northeast of Kharkiv City)," the think tank said.

The ISW added: "Russian and Ukrainian forces reported fighting in and around Vovchansk, east of Vovchansk near Tykhe, and near Hlyboke (north of Kharkiv City) on June 25 and 26."

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