Puusepp summed up the week's events in Ukraine on ETV's "Ukraina stuudio" show on Sunday evening.

"Pokrovsk remains a hotspot, with Ukrainian forces still present in the city. They are doing their best to resist the Russians. Weather sometimes hampers drone flights, but despite that, they are holding their ground and the fighting continues. Every day brings more losses for Russian forces, and that reduces their combat capability," he said.

Despite the Russian Army and President Vladimir Putin's repeated claims that the city of Kupiansk is under Russia's control, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit proved otherwise.

"While the city is not fully back under Ukrainian control and clearing operations are ongoing, overall the Ukrainians have been successful there and have cut off various Russian supply and reinforcement routes. According to public sources, there may be around 150 to 200 Russian fighters entrenched in the city who are trying to continue their resistance, but they cannot be supported, as all access routes should be under Ukrainian control," Puusepp said.

Puusepp noted that, broadly speaking, the front line remains in the same place.

"That's how it is. Contrary to various predictions, neither side has experienced a major collapse. Both sides continue to fight. The West continues to support Ukraine, and Russia continues to try to advance. This year has played out through these kinds of small tactical victories and losses," the lieutenant colonel said.

According to the U.S.-based think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russia has captured 4,700 square kilometers this year. This is roughly the size of Estonia's biggest islands combined and less than 1 percent of Ukraine's total area.

"Considering that the war in Ukraine has been going on for 12 years now, this shows that Russia has still not managed to defeat a country with a population three to four times smaller. They have not been able to achieve any decisive operational or strategic success anywhere. All of these small victories are tactical at best and nothing more," Puusepp commented.

Although the front stretches more than 1,000 kilometers, the hotspot remains the Donetsk region. "Clearly, there is a political directive from Russia driving this," he said.

"It's very difficult for either side to concentrate decisive forces anywhere to achieve results at the operational level. The Russians cannot simply abandon the entire front to support those hotspots, as that would give the Ukrainians an opportunity to act. And Ukrainians face the same dilemma. They have to very carefully assess from which section they can take people, supplies, and weapons in order to reinforce another sector where things might not be going well at that moment. There's close monitoring of what the enemy is doing and where it's possible to reduce forces to achieve gains elsewhere," said Puusepp.

"Russia does not have the military power to achieve strategic or even operational success," he summarized.

At the same time, Puusepp acknowledged that Ukraine is already engaged in a war of attrition, while Russia appears to have enough time and manpower. Still, Russia are unable to recruit enough people to create superiority anywhere.

"They are trying to exhaust Ukrainian society and Western allies in the hope of achieving a diplomatic solution in the wake of that fatigue. Militarily, they have not been able to do so yet," said Puusepp.

"As long as Western support for Ukraine holds, Ukraine is not willing to give up territory or surrender. And on the other side, Russia is not ready to make any concessions. Putin's goals remain the same as they were at the start of the war. Unless Western societies apply more pressure on Russia, that is unlikely to change," he added.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!