When Russia invaded its surprise push into Kharkiv province on May 10, 2024, it was more than just another push beyond the front lines—it was a calculated step to lengthen the Ukrainian lines, compel Kyiv to have to shift troops, and create a defensive buffer zone along the border. Kharkiv was the clear choice: proximate to Russia, strategically important, and emotionally charged.
But after weeks of intense fighting, the offensive lost steam, revealing not just Russia’s classic military vulnerabilities but also the resilience and determination of Ukraine. Russian commanders committed approximately 40,000 soldiers to the effort with the hopes of drawing Ukrainian forces in and creating a corridor farther south in Donetsk.
Their strategy wasn’t to take Kharkiv city proper, but to drive back the Ukrainian forces far enough that the city would be placed under threat by Russian artillery and serve as a bulwark against the threat of cross-border raids. Momentum at first favored them. They took some 100 square kilometers of land—the largest Russia had gained in a single push since late 2022. But by early June the push was being stalled. Ukrainian strikes against supply lines, including in Belgorod, supported by concerted defense, pinched Russian forces attempting to exert pressure. Ukraine responded immediately and in synchrony.
In anticipation of a presumed attack, commanders had deployed extra personnel and artillery into the northeast. When the Russian forces attempted to make a push, Ukrainian forces used highly coordinated defenses, frequently fighting block by block in townships such as Vovchansk and Lyptsi. The fighting was fierce, but by mid-June, Ukrainian troops had beaten back and cooled the attack.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would later assert that Russia had lost several times more soldiers than Ukraine in the advance—disproportionate losses that attested to the strength of Kyiv’s planning for defense. The battle in Kharkiv attested to the severity of Russia’s military issues as well.
Two years of unapologetic war, and their troops still use outdated tactics and vintage Soviet-era equipment. Planning and coordination remain abysmal, morale is uncertain, and losses of newer armour have necessitated greater use of older, less capable vehicles.
Production issues exacerbate the issue: sanctions and shortages have prevented them from replacing losses or conducting high-intensity operations. Even production of existing fighter-bombers has declined to a trickle, indicating the pressure on Russia’s weapons industry. Ukraine, however, is a demonstration of a rapid adaptation capabilities.
Western assistance has been significant, especially artillery, drones, and long-range weapons, but it is the rapid deployment of these assets by Ukraine that has been the breakthrough. Decentralized control has enabled the local commanders to act faster than the Russians and the liberty to experiment with new tactics has kept Moscow guessing.
Resist forces in occupied territories create a second line, providing intelligence back to the Ukrainians and disrupting Russian efforts at resupplying in the rear. Even Kyiv itself, however, has issues of its own. Recruiting is a chronic issue, with fewer available to recruit and increased pressure on manpower.
Even as youth officers are calling for new, creative thinking, there are some senior generals stuck to Soviet orthodoxy, causing tension at all ranks of the chain of command. Corruption and looking for material wealth have also been hindering progress from time to time, and questions have been asked about how future campaigns will be funded.
Ukraine was able to hold off, but attrition warfare requires more than tactical ingenuity—it demands an inexhaustible supply of manpower and material assistance over the course of several months. The larger war at this point turned into a stalemate. Russia advances inch by inch in Donetsk and Chasiv Yar and counts on constant pressure some day or another to wear out Ukrainian defenses.
Ukraine holds on stubbornly and acquires bits of ground at intervals, but deep counterattacks are out of the question without a turning point on the battlefield. Both are learning the hard way: Russia, the price of obsolete doctrine and rigid logistics; Ukraine, the boundaries of the zone of elasticity in an attrition contest. Defense is everything in this phase of the war—and the fight is half so much a fight for space as for stamina.
