Under Fire: Ukraine’s Battle for Survival Amidst Russian Advances and Fading Support

Written by Sophie Ritzenthaler | March 4, 2024

Residential building of Avdiivka after Russian shelling

Throughout the last few weeks, villagers in Ukraine have listened in dread as the sounds of Russian bombs got closer. Nearly two weeks ago, Russian troops captured the southeastern city of Avdiivka with their sights set Westward. Since then, Ukrainians have evacuated nearby villages, losing even more territory to Russia after overnight battles occurred where defensive positions were limited. Ukrainian forces have struggled to hold their ground as Russian troops have continued to advance utilizing artillery support to accomplish this. These territorial losses come on the back of slowed support from Western countries, as they are being pressured to address issues at home first. Ukraine’s military is running low on artillery rounds and ammunition. The promised air defense rockets have yet to arrive further limiting the defensive capabilities. The slowing of support from Western countries has put Ukraine in a tight spot as the front lines continue being tested by Russian attacks. 

The advancement of Russian forces raises the question of what 2024 will look like for Ukraine as the conflict enters its third year of fighting. Russia is at an advantage numerically having a greater pool of soldiers at its disposal and steady support from allies who provide drones, shells, and ballistic missiles. Since Ukraine is experiencing a shortage of artillery shells, Russia has been able to leverage this to its advantage overpowering defensive positions with constant artillery strikes. While Kyiv is trying to enhance domestic production of artillery shells it is unable to do so fast enough to meet demand. Both the European Union and the United States have promised artillery shells, however, they have fallen short of those promises. Without continuous Western financial and military support, Ukraine has decreased odds of holding off Russia’s advancements in the coming year.