The Russian invasion of Ukraine likely has not gone according to the plans put into place by President Vladimir Putin and his military leaders. It is believed the Russian advance through Ukraine was expected to last a matter of days before the capital, Kyiv, was placed under Russian control, according to The Guardian.
In February, the U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, told lawmakers that the capital city of Kyiv could fall within 72 hours if Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
However, as the fourth week of the war in Ukraine begins, Kyiv is still holding strong. NATO has reported the Russian military has suffered between 7,000 and 15,000 deaths.
The Russian advance has slowed over the course of the first four weeks of the war for several reasons.
The Russian military was not prepared for the extensive training given to Territorial Defense Forces within Ukraine. Military leaders in the U.S., the UK, and the European Union have been training and supplying Ukrainian forces with weapons for almost a decade, The Guardian reports.
The number of soldiers injured during the special military operation exceeded the loss of life for the Russian army invaders. Between 30,000 and 40,000 members of the Russian military have been wounded on the battlefield, The Associated Press reports.
The Ukrainian military is also achieving continued success for its anti-aircraft operations. On March 22, Ukrainian forces said they downed nine enemy air targets in the span of 24 hours, including one plane, two helicopters, and six unmanned aerial vehicles.
Four weeks into the war, both nations are facing supply chain issues.
Due to Russian bombings, Ukraine is facing a break in its supply chain of food and emergency supplies.
For Russian troops, the stockpile of supplies needed to advance and retain Ukraine for the long term appears to be dwindling. Invading Russian forces have been reported to have as little as three days of food and ammunition remaining, according to Ukrinform, the Ukrainian military broadcasting platform.
Fuel supply is another problem for the Russian forces. Vox News reports that Russia’s failure to install a fuel pipeline alongside the initial advance of Russian troops could potentially stall the invasion in a matter of days.
The morale of front-line Russian soldiers is another essential factor in the slowing of the invading force. According to iNews, the Ukrainian military reported 300 Russian service members refused to carry out attacks in the Okhtyrka district in northeast Ukraine and left the area of operation.
According to Dartmouth political scientist Jason Lyall, the morale of Russian soldiers was already low before the invasion due to brutal hazing, corruption, ethnic divisions, and other issues.
Russian forces seemingly failed to consider the patriotism of the Ukrainian people and the reluctance of Russian troops to complete the invasion.