Ballistics Putin’s ‘last argument’ as Ukraine brings his army to standstill

Key points

• Russia’s performance since December shows it can contest territory but cannot hold it, say battlefield observers.
• Ukraine’s ability to impede the flow of Russian supplies and personnel to the front lines has grown in recent days, from the southern regions of Zaporizhia and Kherson to the eastern front, and has forced the Russian army to a standstill, according to battlefield analysis.
• Meanwhile, Ukraine has continued to strike refineries and munitions factories deep inside Russia, weakening its war effort.
• Sensing the growing strength of their position, Ukrainian forces struck the city of St Petersburg as Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived there for a high-profile economic forum, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote him an open letter telling him he could not win the war.
• “Your resources are significantly dwindling,” Zelenskyy wrote.