The number of troops in the Ukrainian air force is larger than expected: Comment on Podolak’s comment on the recent Ukrainian incursion

Ukraine has not said how many of its troops have crossed into Russia. The chief of the general staff told the Kremlin that some 1,000 Ukrainian troops were being supported by dozens of armored vehicles. Some Ukrainian media reports, without citing sources, have suggested an even larger number, saying several Ukrainian brigades are involved.

Putin looked angry and disgusted as he heard the assessment, which seemed to be mixture of impatience and disgust. He called the Ukrainian incursion a “large-scale provocation.”

Ukraine isn’t commenting on the current developments, and a lot of details are not known. In an interview with NPR, Mykhailo Podolak, one of the top advisers to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, declined to provide any specifics.

He said that in order to get Russia to move away from the border areas where it is launching attacks, the operation was needed.

Russia has two advantages in the fighting. With far more troops on the ground, the Russians are more capable of carrying out assaults. Sometimes they even attack on motorcycles, though they often get cut down by Ukrainian fire. Still, the Russians have gained ground despite suffering high losses.

In eastern Ukranian, where Russia has seized many villages in the past week, Poldolak acknowledged there is a tough time. In a war where the frontline has not changed over the past year, the Russian offensive has gained strength with no single village being critical.

The Ukrainians say the main Russian aim is the town of Pokrovsk, a transportation hub for sending Ukrainian troops to the frontlines.

The Ukraine received its first F-16 fighter jets last week. 10 or so planes is not enough to counter Russia in its skies, as Ukraine says it needs to.

Podolyak said the biggest problem was their supremacy in the air and the huge amount of glide bombs that give them the opportunity to attack us from longer distances.

What does Russia (in Ukraine) bring to his land? An analyst’s assessment on the situation in the Kursk region: “Russia is not going to win, but Russia is going to bring war”

Videos on social media shows the Ukrainians moving on several fronts. They show the destruction of what is described as a Russian military column, the surrender of dozens of Russian troops and Ukrainian soldiers standing in front of road signs marking the entrances to villages in the Kursk region.

In his nightly video address, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia brought war to his land and should feel bad about it. Ukrainians know how to achieve their goals.”

Russian military officials said they have sent reinforcements to Kursk, that they were defeating the Ukrainian forces and expected to regain control of the border soon.

Many Russian military bloggers, however, are presenting a contradictory assessment, saying the fighting is ongoing in multiple villages, with Russian forces suffering setbacks and struggling to gain the upper hand.

Russian officials have reported many casualties in their areas but no casualty figures have been given by either Russia or Ukraine.

The Ukrainian operation’s ultimate goal isn’t clear. The offensive clearly caught the Russians off guard and and has lifted the mood of Ukrainians, at least temporarily.

“Will the events in this or that Russian border region have a psychological impact on [Russian] society? Mykhailo Podolyak is an advisor to Zelenskyy. Will the impact on how they perceive their war be increased when you increase Russian losses? Without a doubt.