Why would the Ukrainian army, which has been repeatedly defeated by the Russian army on the vital eastern front, launch a surprise attack in Kursk, far to the north, on the Russian border? Could this be a Russian trap? > As Ukrainian forces continue their advance into Russia’s western Kursk region, speculation is growing about their aims and where their bold operation will lead. Some Russian state media have suggested that an invasion of Russia would be a self-inflicted “trap” for President Volodymyr Zelensky and that Putin would ultimately prevail. Kremlin state media is trying to explain why Ukraine was able to launch such an attack across the border into Russia so easily. For example, in an editorial a week after the Ukrainian military operation began, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency said Russian forces were “in control of the situation.” A day earlier, the pro-Russian government news agency Tsargrad reported that Ukrainian troops had been “trapped” and suffered heavy losses. However, this misrepresentation is at odds with evidence and testimony, including from Russian military bloggers, that points to Ukrainian superiority. Zelensky said on August 15 that Ukrainian forces had captured the town of Suzha, a hub for sending natural gas to the West. Both sides will naturally want to make themselves look good, but so far there is no evidence that the Krajina forces have fallen into a trap. On the other hand, the big question is surely what Ukraine will do next and whether Putin will be able to counter it. ■ “Invasion” as Putin warned: Ukraine is using its most powerful forces, which should be holding back the Russian army’s advance in the Donbas region in the east, to invade Rostov Oblast, far to the north. It’s a dangerous place if the Russians launch an effective counterattack. Michael A. Witt, professor of international business and strategy at King’s Business School in London, said the Ukrainian military “risks overstretching its front, losing valuable personnel and resources and giving Putin the excuse for further escalation.” Putin could use the cross-border attack as domestic justification for the war in Ukraine. He has maintained that Russia launched the invasion of Ukraine because it felt threatened by the West and that Ukraine was a pawn of the West. “There are two opposing forces at work. First, it serves to strengthen the narrative that Russia is under threat. “The ’rallying to power’ effect that occurs during times of national crisis may increase support for Putin,” Witt told Newsweek. “The other, and the opposite, movement is one that casts doubt on whether Putin and his government are the right leader to defend Russia,” he said. “I don’t think there are any clear signs that Putin will lose his power as a ruler, but the end of a dictator often comes suddenly.” The Russian military’s inability to ward off Ukrainian attacks in Rostov Oblast revealed that Russia lacks reserve forces to defend its territory. Casualties are mounting on the frontlines in eastern and southern Ukraine and troop strength is already declining. The Russian government has implemented preferential treatment, such as increasing compensation for military service, but conscription does not appear to be working. An anonymous source close to the Russian Defense Ministry said new mobilizations could come later this year to replace front-line troops who need rest. In a sense, Ukraine’s cross-border attack fits into Putin’s plans because it gives renewed persuasive force to his long-held argument that Ukraine should not join NATO, says Vik Biksanovic of LSE Ideas, a think tank at the London School of Economics. The real war is in the east and south: Emil Kastehelmi, a military expert at the Finland-based open-source intelligence and analysis firm Black Bird Group, points out that the Ukrainian military is also short on manpower. Therefore, if a cross-border attack such as this one were to be carried out, it could result in the needless waste of valuable human resources for Ukraine. “Capturing a few dozen villages on the Russian border at the expense of many lives and equipment will not help anything,” he told Newsweek. “The obvious conclusion is that this war will not be resolved at Kursk. The most strategically important areas remain eastern and southern Ukraine.” Biksanovic also said it made no sense for Ukrainian forces to launch a cross-border attack when they were “overwhelmed” by Russian forces in Donbas. Even if it would expose the weakness of Russia’s border defenses and the incompetence of the Russian leadership, it would not win the war. (Source below) Published on 8/19 (Mon) 18:18.
>>7 They did it a few times around the area when they attacked the Audiivka Fortress. They were caught in a fishing net and annihilated by artillery fire during area control. Scary.
>>7 Currently, the amount of Russian territory Ukraine has acquired is not that large. If we’re talking about supply lines, the front line has only advanced a dozen kilometers, so the Russian army, which has advanced over 100 kilometers into Ukrainian territory, would be in a state of Guadalcanal by now.
It’s probably just a favor to Russia to exchange occupied territories at the end of the war. Russia also wants to stop the war, but if they just withdraw, they will lose. If they exchange the land occupied by Ukraine for the land occupied by Russia, Russia’s reputation will be saved. In that case, Crimea will remain Russian territory.
Under the pretext of Ukraine’s great rebellion, they have completely taken in three countries that have imposed economic sanctions on Iran, North Korea, and Venezuela. Maybe they were lured in after all?
>>25 I was hoping for a chance to invade the southern front, which is stalled at the canal, but it seems a river crossing operation is impossible after all… >>43 30% of the population of Odessa is of Russian descent, and it is a tragic place where 48 Russian residents were burned alive by Ukrainian neo-Nazi nationalists 10 years ago.
Sending in tanks without any supply lines or air support and doing ping pong dashes is crazy. It’s a Russian trap, or more like a simple suicide bombing.
“By moving in line with the Olympics, the West, especially America, will automatically remember that Russia is an enemy.” Let’s consider this as their intention. Russia needed to be second in the number of gold medals at the Olympics. If Russia loses by default, America will have no regrets. Second place should be China, right? It’s strange that China is becoming a target for America.
Comments