The length of time Sievierodonetsk's defenders held out slowed Russian efforts elsewhere and sucked up Moscow's finite resources, they say. Ukrainian analysts say Kyiv is forcing Russia to pay a high price for its creeping progress. Luhansk is one of two regions which make up the wider Donbas area whose capture by Russian forces on behalf of proxy separatists is framed by Moscow as one of its main aims. The fall of Sievierodonetsk leaves only one other major settlement in Ukraine's Luhansk region outside the control of Russia and its proxies - the nearby twin city of Lysychansk, which lies across the Siverskyi Donets River and on high ground, making it harder to overwhelm. The West and Ukraine say Russia is waging an unjustified war of aggression designed to halt Kyiv's legitimate westwards drift and accuse the Kremlin of trying to recreate parts of the Russian Empire. 24, a "special military operation" to protect Russian speakers from Ukrainians intent on taking Kyiv into NATO, a move Russia says it cannot accept. Moscow calls its invasion, which began on Feb. From their point of view officially, everything is rosy. "Another thing is we don't know what's going on with the Ukrainians their manpower, losses and so on. "Whatever they did, it is working for them," said Muzyka. Konrad Muzyka, a Poland-based military analyst, said the tactical change meant Moscow could commit fewer troops to offensives amid unconfirmed Western suggestions that Russia is experiencing manpower problems. Yes it's slow, but the strategy works and it means far less casualties," said the official, who declined to be named because they were not authorised to speak on the subject. "Our military has changed tactics," said one Russian government official. Sievierodonetsk would be the biggest Ukrainian city Russia has captured since it took the port of Mariupol last month. But its capture, confirmed by both sides on Saturday, is likely to be hailed by Russia as evidence that its switch from its early and unsuccessful attempts at "lightning warfare" to a much slower grinding offensive which relies more on long-range shelling rather than close-quarters combat, is paying off.
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