Russian Advances on Eastern Front Hobbled by Infighting

Russian Advances on Eastern Front Hobbled by Infighting
Smog during a shelling in the front line city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Feb. 9, 2023. Yevhen Titov/Reuters
Adam Morrow
Updated:

As Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine enters its second year, Russian forces appear to have regained the initiative, having recently captured several key positions in the eastern Donetsk region.

Nevertheless, this week saw a rare—and surprisingly public—display of infighting between Russia’s top officials and the Wagner Group, a private military company with close ties to the Kremlin.