The Wall Street Journal: Putin Adjusts Military Deployment on the Ukraine Front
On August 5, The Wall Street Journal reported that in response to a gradually weakening offensive on the Ukraine battlefield, Russian President Vladimir Putin has established a dedicated command unit for unmanned systems operations and carried out personnel adjustments involving several senior commanders.
The report stated that this summer, the pace of Russian advances has slowed to its lowest level in recent years. Despite frequent criticisms from Russian military bloggers about operational performance, Putin continues to publicly assert that Russian forces are steadily advancing their front lines. Meanwhile, Ukraine has launched multiple counterattacks, successfully repelling Russian forces from several key positions.
Putin attended the meeting surrounded by two Russian flags, alongside Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov and Defense Minister Andrey Belousov. Throughout the session, he did not criticize the military but instead offered praise and affirmation.
The report noted that Russian forces have so far failed to achieve the decisive breakthroughs that Putin had hoped for. Progress in eastern Donbas has been limited and costly, with Russian troops slowly approaching two core Ukrainian-controlled cities—Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.
Data from the think tank "Blackbird Group" indicates that Russia’s gains this summer represent one of the weakest periods since the war began, while Ukrainian forces have launched counteroffensives along other segments of the front line.
Michael Kofman, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, commented: “The battlefield initiative that Russia previously held is now being contested by Ukraine. Russian forces previously misjudged that sustained pressure on the front lines would eventually achieve their objectives. In reality, massive investment has yielded diminishing returns, and the offensive has largely stalled. Rotations among top commanders cannot alter this situation.”
This round of personnel changes did not involve a large influx of new senior leadership; instead, it consisted only of reassignments among existing generals—consistent with Putin’s established reluctance to publicly dismiss commanders deemed ineffective in combat.
The report also highlighted that Russia lags behind Ukraine in the practical use of drones—Kyiv has received financial support and technical expertise from Western partners. Although Russia has aggressively recruited drone operators, development of domestic drone production capacity has repeatedly encountered obstacles.
Over recent months, the frontline has seen little significant change. Both sides have shifted their focus toward striking deep into enemy rear areas. However, according to Kofman’s analysis, long-range bombing alone cannot fundamentally alter the situation on the front lines.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1872737319899332/
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