[LIVE] 100th day of the conflict: towards a war of attrition in Ukraine

In the city of Sievierodonetsk, in the Donbass region, in eastern Ukraine, on June 2, 2022. AFP - ARIS MESSINIS

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3 mins

The Russian invasion of Ukraine enters its 100th day this Friday, June 3.

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The main points:

► After

launched on February 24, which did not bring down the power of Kiev, the conflict takes another form.

Moscow has reduced its ambitions and is focusing

in the east, an area already at war since 2014 between the Ukrainian army and pro-Russian separatists. 

► Russian forces currently control

, or nearly 125,000 km2, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday.

► The Europeans will be the first to

decided within the framework of the European sanctions against Russia for its intervention in Ukraine, declared this Thursday the Russian Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Energy Alexandre Novak.

► Between 

 in combat and some 500 others are injured, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday, June 1.

Times are given in Universal Time (UT), 

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6:35 a.m.: A look back at 100 days of war

On the morning of February 24, the Kremlin was convinced that it would only need a few days to seize Ukraine.

Three simultaneous fronts are open, objective kyiv, the Donbass and the south of the country.

More than 100,000 men are engaged, but the special operation, as Moscow designates it, quickly comes up against fierce resistance.

Not only in terms of personnel, the balance of power is not in favor of Moscow, but the Ukrainian army benefits from high-level armament, in particular the portable anti-tank missiles supplied in quantity by the West and which will decimated the Russian armored columns.

In three months, Moscow will thus lose nearly 700 combat tanks.

Badly informed, badly supplied, without air supremacy, the

Russian army from the end of April resolves to revise its ambitions downwards and switches its effort to the Donbass.

Therefore, the Russian steamroller, focused on artillery, is set up, the conflict takes a turn of war of attrition.

But the Russian army, which could not regenerate either its material or its troops, is exhausted.

More than 15,000 soldiers would have been killed on both sides.

The conflict, judge the military experts, could last and turn into a war of position, interspersed with necessary operational poses.

More than 15,000 soldiers would have been killed on both sides.

The conflict, judge the military experts, could last and turn into a war of position, interspersed with necessary operational poses.

More than 15,000 soldiers would have been killed on both sides.

The conflict, judge the military experts, could last and turn into a war of position, interspersed with necessary operational poses.

6:30 a.m .: The failure of the Russian lightning offensive

After the failure of the Russian lightning offensive which did not bring down the power of Kiev, we are now in a totally different conflict, reports our special correspondent in Zaporijjia, 

.

Moscow has reduced its ambitions and is focusing on the Donbass region in the east, an area already at war since 2014 between the Ukrainian army and pro-Russian separatists. 

From now on, we have entered a kind of war of attrition, in which the Russian troops are gradually eating away at the Donbass.

In particular, they exerted very strong pressure in the east, on the city of Sievierodonetsk, which was constantly bombarded.

The Ukrainian army is on the back foot, even if the "Russian steamroller" is advancing very laboriously.

The Russians also took the town of Lyman a few days ago, an important lock leading to the great city of Kramatorsk.

They are thus positioned to the north, south and east of a pocket that has become the last area controlled by Ukraine in the Luhansk region.

But besides the Ukrainian soldiers, some natural obstacles stand in the way of the Russians, including the Seversky Donets River, which is difficult to cross.

Moreover, kyiv has several times aborted attempts.  

The Ukrainians have regained ground in the areas of Kharkiv, in the north of the country, pushing back some of the Russians towards their border, as well as some gains in the south.

Nevertheless, 100 days later, given the poor progress on both sides, it is perhaps towards a war of position that we are heading, presaging a conflict over time. 

06h30: Hello and welcome to this live

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• Ukraine

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• Day to day war in Ukraine

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