Today she weeps for her people.
Posted on 04/18/2022 6:21:19 AM PDT by GonzoII
A weekend buildup of Russian troops in the eastern Ukrainian city of Izyum was yet another sign of an upcoming Russian offensive in what appears to be the opening maneuvers of a more bloody phase of the war, according to analysts.Having dispersed from both sides of the Dnieper river north of Kyiv earlier this month, Russian troops appear to be planning a “pincer movement” down from Izyum in the north, and up from Mariupol in the south, in an attempt to push Ukrainian forces out of the Donbas region and deliver a key victory to Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of May 9 when Russia marks the Soviet defeat of Nazi Germany. But experts warn that a depleted Russian army struggling with morale problems, Ukrainian counterattacks and supply issues, may fail to achieve its ambitious goals.
“The Ukrainians have the advantage of being on the defensive,” said Robert Bell, a former NATO official and professor at Georgia Tech University, who added that attackers traditionally need a 3:1 ratio over defenders to advance successfully.
Ukraine has recently drafted up to 20,000 troops, and with Western supplies of air-defense systems, anti-tank missiles and ammunition, looks able to survive a war of attrition.
Despite Russian troops encircling the city of Mariupol shortly after the beginning of the war, they have made little headway along the Izyum axis because of issues with supply and morale, according to a report published Monday by the Institute for the Study of War.
Ukrainians remain in heavily fortified positions to the west of the line of contact with separatist forces that has been in place since 2015, explained Bell....
(Excerpt) Read more at themoscowtimes.com ...
" While Russian forces regroup ahead of the anticipated offensive, Ukrainian troops have been using the breathing space as an opportunity to recapture territory.Ukraine seized the Kharkiv region towns of Bazaliyivka and Lebiazhe, as well as part of Kutuzivka, local governor Oleh Sinyehubov said Sunday. If confirmed, this means Russian supply lines between the Russian city of Belgorod and Izyum have been severed. "
🥱
Moscow Times? Can’t be
Russian.
Impossible!
Ukrainians are cut off, surrounded, defeat is immenient!
If the Russian Navy is now hesitant and harassed landing troops and supplies from the Black Sea, The Russian positions in southeastern Ukraine will deteriorate. Imagine there is a fair amount of screaming and finger pointing within the Russian high command.
It seems that Ukranian intellegence obtained from the ether has been very effective in pin pointing and then killing Russian generals and senior officers.
In the current phase, it would be prudent for the general and command not to get too close to the front even though it is necessary.
I wonder if those feeding the GPS locations of Russian command can find the command posts inside Russia but close to the front. I wonder if Ukraine will kill them in Russia
No way the Russian navy gets within 90 miles of the Ukrainian coast. The Neptune ASM has a 170km radius.
Russia’s vietnam.
I do not believe Russia can ‘win’ in a way that they want.
Where is the Moscow Times currently based? It can’t be in Russia with an article like this...
Appears to have a very, very good pedigree.
I think I got all that right.
Moscow, Idaho
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