Ukraine goes on the offensive against Russian forces
Good evening. This is your Russia-Ukraine War Briefing, a weeknight guide to the latest news and analysis about the conflict. Emboldened by sophisticated weapons and long-range artillery provided by the West, Ukrainian soldiers have gone on the offensive against Russian forces, seeking to drive them back from the outskirts of the pivotal cities of Kharkiv and Izium. Ukraine launched heavy shelling and an infantry assault supported by tanks and other armored vehicles, my colleagues Thomas Gibbons-Neff and Natalia Yermak report. Neither side has been able to score a major breakthrough, emblematic of a conflict that has become a slow-moving grind that focuses on one village at a time. Artillery dominates the fighting, lobbing munitions from beyond the line of sight of opposing forces. The weapons include multiple-launch rocket systems, some with ranges of roughly 20 miles; howitzers, with a range of about 13 miles; and heavier mortars, capable of lobbing shells about five miles.
