“The russian side used the days of the self-declared ‘truce’, which was in effect from May 9 to May 11, to regroup troops and prepare for further actions. This is stated in the latest report by the American Institute for the Study of War”, - Polskie Radio reported on May 12.
The Institute for the Study of War cites a representative of a Ukrainian brigade operating in the Lyman direction. According to him, russian forces used the truce to bring up reserves, accumulate personnel, and continued artillery strikes and FPV drone attacks.
In addition, the Ukrainian serviceman reported that during the truce, russian forces used “Molniya” fixed-wing drones more actively than before. In his assessment, russia may have stockpiled such drones in advance for use during the declared ceasefire period.
The Institute for the Study of War notes that the situation surrounding the May truce once again demonstrated the weakness of such agreements without clear monitoring mechanisms. According to the analysts, a ceasefire without reliable monitoring, enforcement tools, and a clear procedure for addressing violations is unlikely to be sustainable.