In a strategy shift, Russia is making slower advances in eastern Ukraine, analysts say.

Russia is making slow and measured advances on the ground in eastern Ukraine as its forces confront entrenched Ukrainian troops who have been fortifying their positions for almost a decade, military analysts say.

The slower pattern of movement marks a significant departure from Moscow’s initial invasion in February, which depended on swift advances of tanks deep into Ukraine ­— a strategy that failed and came at a great cost to Russia’s ground forces.

Military analysts with the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank, said in their most recent assessment on Tuesday that “Russian forces have adopted a sounder pattern of operational movement in eastern Ukraine,” which is allowing them to “bring more combat power to bear” in their narrower goal of capturing the region. Read more

@nytimes