Ukrainian strikes into Russia’s border towns compound Putin’s troubles

The Washington Post ^ | September 17, 2022 | Mary Ilyushina

[Timber Rattler]

After a successful Ukrainian counteroffensive in the northeast of the country, the messy war that Russian President Vladimir Putin started is now being fought directly on his doorstep, with artillery strikes hitting military targets in Russia and Russian officials in cities and towns along the border ordering hasty evacuations.

On Saturday, a new round of strikes hit the Belgorod region in Western Russia, killing at least one person and wounding two.

On Friday, Ukraine reportedly struck the base of the Russian 3rd Motorized Rifle Division near Valuyki, just nine miles north of the Russia—Ukraine border. Russian officials did not acknowledge that a military target was hit but said one civilian died, and the local electrical grid experienced a temporary disruption.

Russia blamed the attacks on Ukraine, but Kyiv did not claim responsibility for striking targets in Russian territory.

Kyiv has assured U.S. officials that donated weapons would not be used to strike targets inside Russia proper. But Ukrainian forces are now so close to the border that they can hit targets using their own less-advanced weaponry.

That Russian citizens are starting to seriously feel the impact of the war directly is another new source of pressure on Putin, who returned home this weekend from a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Uzbekistan where he faced a remarkable public rebuke by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and questions about the war from Chinese President Xi Jinping.

[marron]

As Russia attacks dams and power stations, they get a reminder that they have dams and power stations too.

[caww]

Then why didn’t it stop at Donbass when he wasn’t even there???? Ukraine leadership did and continues to want RUssians to leave Ukraine.

[bert]

Balderdascious drivel

[hanamizu]

I realize that neither side is blameless. However, Russia invaded the Crimean Peninsula, and a few years later invaded Ukraine again. Did Russia have good (at least for them) reasons for doing so. I’m sure they think so.

Crimea, which Russia conquered in the 1700s was ‘gifted to the Ukrainian SSR by Khrushchev in the 50s when both were a part of the ‘eternal’ USSR. So I can understand why Russian nationalists would want it back.

But Russia’s claim to parts of Ukraine where ethnic Russians are a majority as a justification to annex them is reminiscent of Germany’s claim to the Sudetenland.

Russia invaded Ukraine, not the other way round. That is a simple fact that doesn’t require deep thought, which I am capable of on rare occasions if i hold my mouth just right.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

—> But Russia’s claim to parts of Ukraine where ethnic Russians are a majority as a justification to annex them is reminiscent of Germany’s claim to the Sudetenland.

I’ve not seen a Russian statement that they have a claim on parts of Ukraine because they speak Russian?

—> Russia invaded Ukraine, not the other way round.

War is a last resort when nations fail to resolve disagreements peacefully through diplomacy and official bodies of dispute.

My own country does this … so there’s that.

[rrrod]

Putin has another 2 years to raise hell. His biggest fear is a Republican president. Either Trump or DeSantis. Both won’t put up with this POS

[rrrod]

Zelensky didn’t invade...

[hanamizu]

I’ve not seen a Russian statement that they have a claim on parts of Ukraine because they speak Russian?

---

No, not because they speak Russian, they are Russian. Lots of Russians moved or were moved into the various ‘Republics’ during the U.S.S.R.’s time. The Baltics have similar problems. And yes, Russian politicians have called these areas to be reabsorbed into Russia.

As to war being the last resort, you are right. But the nation that initiates the war does have the burden of having to justify its actions to the world. Whether or not the world buys the justification or not is another matter.

Yes, our nation has done this several times in my lifetime. The Viet Nam war comes to mind as having a pretty weak justification. Sigh, and then there’s Afghanistan, Iraq I and Iraq II, Grenada, Panama...and I might be forgetting some others.

[buwaya]

Nearly all the deployable portions of the Russian armed forces are deployed, including all their identified “elite” units. To get more raw numbers they would have to call up their reservists, a call-up that they have never even practiced.

And its unlikely that they have the armament or cadre to fit out reservist formations.

[caww]

I’m far far more concerned about our border “Invasion’

[Marko413]

So whose going to take in all the Russian refugees that fled their homes? /sarc

[DonaldC]

“I’m far far more concerned about our border “Invasion’“

Amen to that.

[Paleo Conservative]

In 2014 President Yanukovych snuck away in the middle of the night. He abandoned his job. That’s not a coup.

[caww]

If you recall that waas done in the night and most definately a safety issue that he lwas ushered out of the country. Most nations would have done likewise under those circumstances.... The Maidan esculated to extreme violence and death. They were even setting police on fire by throwing fire bombs a them.

[Cronos]

There was no “coup.” After about three months of protests and police violence against demonstrators, Ukrainian president Yanukovych fled the country to escape prosecution, was kicked out of his own party, and voted out of office, peacefully, by a majority of the democratically elected parliament, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. The largest block of parliamentarians that voted him out were his own party members and former party members.

His cabinet resigned. The parliament appointed an interim government, and free and fair elections were held a few months later, despite a Russian invasion and ongoing war.

The initial protests had been caused by Yanukovych abandoning a trade deal due to Russian interference, aggravated by him ramming through unconstitutional authoritarian laws with the encouragement of the Russian president, and culminating in violence publicly endorsed by the Russians.

Yanukovych and his clique were consistently leading a country to what happened in 2014, and no external force to start protests was required. He was hated by at least 2/3 of the country

[Cronos]

2banana You do realize only 10% of the Russian military is involved with the SMO?

you do realize that that 10% number is false, do you?

Russia "states" that its military is 1million strong -- HOWEVER that "military" also includes militarized police, border guards, coast guards, etc. - the true number is closer to 600,000

Putin committed 200K to Ukraine - and these were his elite units, NOT conscripts (as he couldn't send conscripts to a war outside Russia's borders)

Ukraine's infrastructure was targeted from the beginning

[Cronos]

There ain't a military base after it was destroyed by the Ukrainians

[Cronos]

Nice try, Kazan

however the Kremlin keeps moving the goalposts

it still don't cover up for the facts that you guys are losing - badly

[Cronos]

The big war happened in 1914.

This war of Putin’s ego isn’t anywhere near a world war. China isn’t going to stick its neck out for Putin

[Cronos]

“Why didn’t it stop at Donbas”?

Because your President Putin wanted a vassal state.