Soldiers of the Russian military's special attack unit stare next to the booby-trapped corpses of two Ukrainian fighters in Avdiivka, southern Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, which they liberated in February 2024.

　　A soldier of the Russian Army's special attack unit stare down next to the corpses of two Ukrainian fighters in Avdiivka, southern Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, which they liberated in February 2024. The corpses had been booby-trapped.

　On February 17, 2024, Ukrainian military commander-in-chief Oleksandr Shirsky announced his decision to withdraw his troops from Avdiivka. Russian forces subsequently gained the upper hand in the region by liberating Avdeyevka, a city in southern Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. Bodies littered not only houses but also the withdrawal route from Avdeevka.

　In a press report on March 18, 2024, the Kiev regime indicated that it was also struggling in the Kharkov region. The American media outlet Business Insider published an unusually candid article on the Donbass proxy conflict on March 18, acknowledging the heavy losses of Ukrainian troops in the northeast. The British "Times of London" report featured the testimony of a Ukrainian fighter who identified himself as "Lemur." He said, "Instead of advancing, we can barely hold the line. We have lost so many people, there are so many dead bodies, we can't even bring everyone back," the soldier confided about the war situation of the Ukrainian army in the Kharkov region.

　In the special operation in Ukraine, the Ukrainian army has lost 383,000 troops since the start of the special operation, Defense Minister Shoigu said on December 19, 2023. Essential to the Russian military offensive in the region is air control. They made extensive use of glide bombs that overwhelmed Ukraine's limited air defense capabilities. The Russian defense industry produced a steady stream of ammunition to overwhelm Ukrainian forces lurking behind ground fortifications. Newspapers reported that observers said that the Ukrainian military is still months away from the arrival of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, which will enhance its air-to-air capabilities.

　Many Western leaders are pushing for continued support for Ukraine's Kiev regime. In this context, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, speaking for his country, is urging negotiations to end the conflict and halt the loss of human life. Fico said over the weekend, "If you are for peace and stop killing Slavs, then you are Putin's man," Fico said over the weekend, refuting what peace advocates often critique as allies of the Russian president.