Ukrainian losses were severe last week... Did Putin benefit from the Gaza war?

  Russian forces intensified their attacks on all fronts in Ukraine over the past week, with the Ministry of Defense announcing heavy casualties among Kyiv's forces following 15 wide-ranging precision strikes against Ukrainian military facilities and foreign mercenaries.

According to the ministry's statement, this destroyed Ukrainian aircraft preparation workshops, unmanned aerial vehicle production sites, and unmanned boats. The losses for Kyiv, according to the statement, have multiplied across all fronts of the conflict.

Analysts speaking to Sky News Arabia noted that the Russian escalation over the past week coincided with the events in the Middle East following the war between the Israeli army and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Is the Palestinian crisis now beginning to have a tangible impact on the war in Ukraine?

Significant Losses:

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Ukrainian forces suffered significant losses over the past week, including:

- More than 755 military personnel were killed on the Kupyansk axis and about 1,340 on the Donetsk axis.

- 760 military personnel were killed and the destruction of 4 tanks, 26 armored military vehicles, 27 cars, and 14 field guns on the Zaporizhia axis.

- Approximately 550 military personnel were killed and the destruction of 11 field guns and 35 water crossing vehicles on the Kherson axis, with the thwarting of a bridgehead on the left bank of the Dnieper River.

- Destruction of 10 aircraft and one helicopter, including five MiG-29 aircraft, three Su-27 aircraft, one Su-25 attack aircraft, and one L-39 combat training aircraft, as well as one Mi-8 helicopter.

- Interception of four operational-tactical missiles of the Atakmz type, three guided bombs of the Jdam type, three Harm anti-radar missiles, and 51 Hymars-launched missiles, along with 274 drones on the southern front.

Fyodor Starikov, a Russian researcher at the "Volsc" military institution, believes that given the recent toll of losses for Kyiv, the effects of the shortage of Western and American ammunition are beginning to manifest in the field, noting that there are indeed withdrawals occurring on the eastern front near Bachmut due to the weapons shortage.

During his interview with Sky News Arabia, Starikov added that the current situation is growing increasingly difficult for Ukraine, potentially pushing them to engage in negotiations with Moscow, should the Palestinian crisis persist for an extended period, as the indicators on the ground suggest.

He also pointed out the diminished capacity of Kyiv in targeting deep Russian territory, following the destruction of most drone manufacturing and assembly headquarters and the retreat of Ukrainian forces on the southern front.

Ukrainian Quagmire:

The Ukrainian government has been experiencing a state of imbalance since the outbreak of the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas on October 7, fearing a decrease in US and Western support, amid Western capitals, particularly Washington, being preoccupied with events in the Middle East.

Republicans are opposing providing additional financial and military aid to Ukraine, demanding a focus on supporting Israel and rejecting President Biden's $106 billion package, including aid to Ukraine and funds allocated for border security.

The Ukrainian regime has not hidden its concern, with the Ministry of Defense stating that Kyiv will not be able to sustain combat operations if Western countries cease their support.

Alexander Yefremovych, a military specialist at the Ukrainian National Institute, says that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has had a significant negative impact on Ukraine's attempt to reclaim its territory.

In his statements to Sky News Arabia, Yefremovych added that the decrease, not the cessation, of support has significant danger and catastrophic implications, given Russia's expansionist plans, especially towards Eastern European countries near the Russian borders, including Poland, Moldova, Finland, Sweden, and others.

He emphasized that Russia is currently the biggest winner of the crisis in the Middle East, pursuing a policy of weakening the West and preventing any military funding for Kyiv so that Ukraine cannot regain its territories and impose a policy of fait accompli, as previously occurred in Crimea.