LONDON, August 7. /TASS/. The defense of the Ukrainian armed forces has been ‘showing cracks’ recently, while Russian troops are advancing rapidly in the zone of the special military operation, the Financial Times reported, citing a senior Ukrainian official.
"Our defenses are showing cracks," the newspaper quoted the source as saying. The official also pointed out that Russian forces have achieved "tactical success" in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), and, if the situation does not change, "more advances are likely."
The newspaper also quoted analysts and military officials as saying that "Russian forces have made swift and significant territorial gains" in the special military operation zone. According to Financial Times, there successes were possible including due to "Ukrainian miscommunication and bungled battlefield rotations." The newspaper also pointed out that in light of Russia's successes, Ukrainians are becoming more supportive of ending the conflict through peace talks.
Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu said on Tuesday that the Russian armed forces have liberated over 420 square kilometers of new territories, while the Ukrainian troops have lost more than 115,000 servicemen and over 3,000 pieces of equipment.