War Research Institute: Russia isn't making much progress, but preparing for major assault

There is no serious progress of the Russian army; it is still preparing for a major assault, the Institute for War Studies said, Report informs via the BBC News Russian service.

The American War Research Institute wrote in a detailed review of the military operations on April 20 that Russian troops had made little progress in eastern Ukraine, capturing several villages and advancing slightly in the towns of Rubizhne and Popasna.

In general, the review said that Russians have not yet demonstrated their ability to make substantial progress:

“Russian forces continue to build the logistics and command infrastructure needed for a major attack. Russian troops have not made much progress and are not demonstrating simultaneous successful offensive capabilities in many areas.”

The April 20 report, collected from open sources, emphasized that the Russians were likely to make little progress in the area of the Azovstal plant, which is defended by the Ukrainian Mariupol garrison.

In the north of the Donbas, Russian troops continued their attacks on Rubizhne and Popasna, and captured some neighborhoods of Popasna and the surroundings of Sievierodonetsk.

Attacks on April 20 from the south in the direction of Hulyaipole and Temirovka were unsuccessful, according to the Institute.