Vladimir Putin’s forces have made further gains in at least three locations along the eastern front in Ukraine – including for the first time in several months an advance in the northern Kharkiv region – highlighting again Kyiv’s need for ammunition and weapons from the United States and other allies. The latest developments reflect the new tempo on the battlefield since the fall of the industrial town of Avdiivka in February. Russia’s tactical advances are now daily. They are generally modest -– from a few hundred meters of territory to perhaps a kilometer at most – but they are usually taking place in several locations at once. From the Ukrainian perspective, the losses are also being accompanied by more public expressions of criticism of the armed forces over the military’s official battlefield updates. Among the areas continuing to witness some of the greatest Russian pressure are a handful of small…
