I seem to remember winter of 22/23 Russia striking powerplants and folks in here boasting how Ukraine is blacked out on satellite pics before Ukraine started targeting Russian energy sector. What's the yankee saying... what's good for the goose is good for the gander?
The problem is that the gander is getting hit many times more than the goose and there is not signs of slowing down. I know, I know, the Russians are the "baddies" and the Ukrainians are the "underdogs" so lets hype up every single "victory" of the Ukrainians doesn't matter how irrelevant it is. But the issue still is that the Russians are not running out of missiles like was previously thought in US and EU, in fact the production of missiles and drones is just increasing steadily.
The thing is the Russians back then only struck the transformers in Ukraine. Which are much easier to replace. But now they are destroying turbine halls in the actual powerplants. Which will take years to replace.
I am not saying that Ukraine does not have the right to fight back. It is just that they should be aware of the consequences of doing this.
Russia vastly increased production of the Iskander and Kinzhal. They also recently started to introduce the MiG-31I into service which will replace the MiG-31K as a Kinzhal carrier. The MiG-31I is supposed to have automated the process of aligning the aircraft and releasing the missile. It is also capable of aerial refueling. Which means the Russians can keep those aircraft loitering for longer periods before releasing the Kinzhal. This will further complicate Ukraine's defense against the Kinzhal. Their tactics of running the air sirens every time a Kinzhal launcher is airborne will likely cease to be effective.
There is talk about a new Russian formation around the Belgorod region that is supposed to push into the Sumy and Kharkiv regions.
The year prior the Russians could only attack at one city, Bakhmut, and this was done with heavy use of Wagner mercenaries as infantry. So yes I would say their situation has improved quite a lot.
A major armored push in the middle of mud season? There is no way in hell that would work.
It is just that Russia's objectives are different than what NATO claims.
Anyone with two functional brain cells would know that the Russian plan was to twist Ukraine arms in negotiations not to permanently take territory, now years later the territory they will conquer will become permanently part of Russia and not even China can convince the Russians to give that territory back to Ukraine and you know how sensitive is China about territory. Sadly for that country the territorial negotiation time has passed.
Well given how much desperate the are to get military aid, despite the hundred of billions given by US and other countries, how they dragging people to war and how the lowered de conscription age despite the horrible demography bottleneck that the country have that would probably lead to many young women leaving the country or marrying men way older than them is pretty safe to say that they have loss more they are willing to say.