Hello and welcome to the War on the Rocks podcast strategy, defense and geopolitics.

My name is Aaron Stein, chief content officer over at War on the Rocks, and I'm joined by none other

than Michael Kaufman at your new office at the Carnegie Endowment for National Peace.

Mike, thanks for having me in your office.

Thanks for coming by and for hosting the podcast.

Sorry for the lack of any kind of decor

because I haven't really quite moved in here yet.

It's about as barren offices as one can

imagine, but it is a lovely space downtown in Washington, D.C.

It's been a while. You recently returned from Ukraine from a research trip, and you have talked about that over on your own

podcast the Russia contingency but for everybody I'd say there are three axes of

advance right so what's the military situation as you see it in Ukraine and how's it going?

I think the honest answer is that we were able to get a lot of insight into what's been taking place in both the offensive

and the opening days of it. I think right now the situation kind of varies between three different sectors.

So in terms of the main axis of advance, first you have Bachmoot.

Bachmoot, I think initially was meant much more as a fixing action to draw Russian forces there starting in

middle of May.

The Ukraine military has made the most progress in the round Bahmuth.

They don't have Russian force in a circlement, although've heard declaration declarations to that effect

for most the past two months but they are making significant gains they are

starting to seize the town of Klishivka on Bachmuth's southern flank which is an important town

and it could be a turning point in the fight for that flank in the battle.

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