U.S. 'Salutes' Slovakia's S-300 Supply to Ukraine, Urges that Fight in Dombas Could Be a "Knife Fight"

The Pentagon on Friday "saluted" the generosity of the Slovak government in providing an S-300 air defense system - a critical defensive capability - to Ukraine, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

"It’s a strong testament to how determined Ukraine’s neighbors are to help the Ukrainians defend themselves against Russia’s unprovoked invasion of their homeland" - Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement of gratitude for Slovakia's assistance to embattled Ukraine. 

In return for their efforts, the U.S. European Command will reposition one Patriot missile system, manned by U.S. service members, to Slovakia, the Pentagon chief said, adding that he expects this battery and its crew to arrive "in the coming days."

The length of their deployment has not yet been fixed, as the Pentagon continues to consult with the Slovak government about more permanent air defense solutions.

Austin yesterday spoke with Slovak Minister of Defense Jaroslav Nad and discussed "the important role the defensive system would play in supporting Ukraine and saving lives in that country", according to defense officials.

President Joe Biden in his turn thanked the Slovakian government for providing an S-300 system to Ukraine, "something [Ukrainian] President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy has personally raised with me in our conversations,” he said in a statement.

Biden further warned against “complacency” in the international effort to push back against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

"Now is no time for complacency. The Russian military may have failed in its objective of capturing Kyiv, but it continues to inflict horrific acts of brutality on the Ukrainian people. As the Russian military repositions for the next phase of this war, I have directed my Administration to continue to spare no effort to identify and provide to the Ukrainian military the advanced weapons capabilities it needs to defend its country"  he noted.

The move came at the time Russia appeared to step up attacks on Ukraine’s civilians, as Kyiv authorities have accused the Kremlin of carrying out a strike on a train station in eastern Ukraine, an attack that killed dozens of civilians and sparked widespread international condemnation.

Biden called the attack on a Ukrainian train station "yet another horrific atrocity committed by Russia, striking civilians who were trying to evacuate and reach safety."

Meantime, for Washington officials, the war in Ukraine now enters a new phase, "with a stronger focus by the Russians on the Donbas region in the eastern part of that country" per Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby.

The Ukrainians continue to say that one of their most valuable commodities is small arms ammunition. "We and other nations continue to provide literally millions of rounds," he told reporters. 

Kirby has said in the past that several other effective defensive weapons have also been provided to Ukraine by the U.S., including Stinger and Javelin missiles.  

Also, intelligence sharing and communications between U.S. defense and other government officials — including President Biden — and those of Ukrainian officials have been ongoing daily.

Speaking to reporters early on Friday, another senior defense official said that the fight for eastern Ukraine will be a "knife fight," as both sides are familiar with the terrain, population centers and access routes.

It is becoming the main scene of battle in the country after Russian President Vladimir Putin's failed attempt to take the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. "The Russians and the Ukrainians have been focused on the Donbas for eight years, and for eight years that the Ukrainians have been able to stymie Russia's larger objectives in the Donbas," the official said. "But the fighting has been bloody, it's been stiff. And it's been pretty consistent for years."  

After the failure of the Kyiv campaign, the Russians are moving units to the east and beginning to feed them into the fight for the Donbas. "This will be a knife fight," the official said. "This could be very bloody and very ugly." 

For the Pentagon's assessment, the Russians are limiting their geographic aims, but they still have a lot of combat power available.

"This could go on for a long time," the official said.  

The Russian units that were attacking Kyiv have withdrawn and are refitting in Belarus and western Russia. The units are making their way to Russian towns of Belgorod and Valuyki, which are near the border with Ukraine and the northern part of the Donbas region. 

Airstrikes follow this new situation, with Russia launching between 240 and 250 sorties over the past day with the overwhelming weight and focus of their strikes aimed at Mariupol and the Joint Force Operations area. Refitting the Russian units is going to take some time, the official said.  

Some of the units that attacked Kyiv were severely mauled, with many battalion tactical groups experiencing a combined personnel and equipment reduction of 30% and others hurt even more. "We've seen indications of some units that are literally ... eradicated — there's just nothing left at the BTG except a handful of troops and maybe a small number of vehicles," the official said.  

It may take some time for these units to be reconstituted, and this could be further complicated by continuing failures in logistics, the official said.

Alex Raufoglu

Washington D.C.