Scott Horton Show - Just the Interviews 4/30/26 Daniel Davis on What’s Been Happening in Ukraine
May 5, 2026
Daniel Davis, former U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and military analyst, joins to break down recent shifts on the eastern front. He sketches Russian pauses and renewed offensives, Ukrainian counterattacks and manpower limits, and the limits of drones and fortifications. He also maps the war’s strain on NATO and the wider economic ripple from the Iran standoff.
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Temporary Pause Then Renewed Russian Advance
- Russia paused offensives briefly in Feb–Mar but resumed in April, producing a net territorial change near zero over those months.
- Daniel Davis links the pause to Ukrainian counterattacks and seasonal/weather effects, then warns Russia resumed grinding gains in spring.
Manpower Shortage Makes Ukrainian Gains Temporary
- Ukraine achieves tactical gains but lacks manpower to hold them, making most successes temporary.
- Davis cites past operations (Korsk, Kupiansk, Dnepr crossing) as examples that produced short-lived advances without strategic reversal.
Corruption Fixed Improved Ukrainian Fortifications
- Corruption initially undermined Ukrainian fortifications but has been partly fixed, producing stronger defenses in some sectors.
- Davis notes earlier funds/equipment were stolen, yet newer fortifications now look "world class," though under-manned.
