Liberation of Avdeyevka Represents Strategically Significant Win for Russia: Indian Vet

"I view this as the biggest Russian battlefield gain after the victory in Bakhmut in May 2023. Technically, with these victories, the Russian forces will be able to further consolidate their positions in the Donbass and move forward with the stated military aim to liberate the entire Russian-speaking region", said Major General (retired) Shashi Bhushan Asthana, director of New Delhi-based think tank the United Services Institution (USI) of India.

Asthana said that the town of Avdeyevka in the Donetsk People's Republic had been heavily contested by Ukrainian forces, so a defeat on that front would definitely be a big blow to the morale of the Kiev regime's troops.

"While the West may continue to provide all kinds of military support, be it ammunition, air defence systems, artillery or ammunition support, to Ukraine to prop up its defences, there is an underlying asymmetry in terms of manpower of both the forces. The Russian troops, which are better trained and more well-equipped, are outnumbering Ukrainian troops on the ground", the Indian military analyst remarked.

"The total trained manpower which you could generate on the battlefield remains a big question for Ukraine. The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) allies won't be able to replenish the troops for Ukraine, which could invite a stronger Russian response. The question of manpower, especially trained troops, is certainly going to make a big difference in times to come", Asthana reckoned.

Asthana also attributed the Ukrainian defeat to a depleting stockpile of weapons amid growing reservations in the US establishment, particularly among Republicans, over the logic of continuing to pour billions of dollars of aid into Kiev.