CNN: The intensity of Russian shelling in Ukraine has decreased, in some areas of the front - by 75%

Russian troops have reduced artillery shelling in Ukraine. In some sectors of the front, their intensity has decreased by 75% from peak values, CNN writes, citing unnamed Ukrainian and American officials.

At the same time, sources from Ukraine and the United States presented completely different estimates of the reduction of Russian fire. Washington said that Russia used to fire about 20,000, and now it is about 5,000 artillery rounds a day. According to Kyiv, we are talking about a reduction from 60 to 20 thousand rounds per day. “But both estimates point to a downward trend,” notes CNN.

Sources of the publication do not know exactly what it is connected with. According to one version, Russia can save shells because of their shortage. According to another, the decrease in the intensity of artillery fire may indicate a change in the tactics of the Russian army in connection with the successful Ukrainian offensives.

Whatever the reason, what is happening indicates that Russia is moving away from its military doctrine, which involves massive rocket and artillery attacks on targets. This strategy was used, in particular, during the capture of Mariupol. The move away from it may be the initiative of Sergei Surovikin, commander of the Russian forces in Ukraine, who, according to CNN, is considered by the US authorities to be more competent than his predecessors.

The intensity of Russian shelling is not declining linearly, an unnamed US Department of Defense official said. There are days when the Russians still carry out massive shelling, especially around Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, Kremennaya in the Luhansk region and Kherson.

• In December, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny said that Russia was allegedly going to launch a new offensive in Ukraine in the first months of 2023. At the same time, according to the head of the Ukrainian military intelligence Kirill Budanov, the Ukrainian side is also planning its offensive.