Ukraine is already preparing for a long war of attrition in the face of Russia’s inability to achieve its military objectives in the first eleven months of the campaign, awaiting support this week from NATO, whose members have promised Kyiv tanks.
“The preparations by Russia for a protracted war mean the understanding of the enemy that his plan for the rapid conquest of Ukraine is not achievable. That is why (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is now considering a long war of attrition,” Ukrainian military intelligence reported.
Kyiv believes that the battle of soldera Donetsk town assaulted a few days ago by Russian troops after several months of offensive, is an example of this new Russian strategy.
Meanwhile, European partners are preparing for the possibility that the war could lead to a large scale conflict. So believes the Polish Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawieckiwho has urged the German government to supply all kinds of weapons to Ukraine.
“The defeat of Ukraine could become the prelude to World War III. Therefore, today there is no reason to block support for Kyiv and delay it indefinitely. I ask the German government to act decisively and supply Ukraine with all kinds of weapons,” she said in recent hours.
Morawiecki recalled that “Ukrainians are not only fighting for their freedom, but also to defend Europe” and has described relations with Russia as a “devil’s pact”.
Welding, the first step
Ukrainian intelligence spokesman Andrei Yusovhas explained that Russia is designing a “war economy” and trying to make its citizens aware that the conflict is going on for a long time.
Instead, he stressed, both Ukraine and the Western powers are not interested in prolonged military actions. In fact, Kyiv looks for in 2023 a victory or, at least, a inflection point on the battlefield.
After the withdrawal, first from the eastern region of Kharkiv and after southern Kherson, Russian troops have dedicated themselves to fortifying their positions fearing a new Ukrainian offensive against the territories annexed by the Kremlin.
In this strategy of buying time until mobilized reservists can fight The role of the private military company Wagner is crucial, which was the one that took Soledar with small assault units and the invaluable help of inmates.
Although kyiv assures that his troops continue to resist in that town, Wagner has reported that, after the victory in Soledar, he is now advancing towards the important Ukrainian stronghold of Bakhmut.
Ukraine, invited to NATO
The Contact Group for the Defense of Ukraine meets on Friday at the Ramstein air base (Germany) chaired by the US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin. The main guest is the Ukrainian Defense Minister, Oleksii Reznikovwho will meet with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
Kyiv needs several hundred tanks and main battle tanks to recover the occupied territories. After the US (50 Bradley), Germany (40 Marder) and France (AMX-10 RC), the UK also promised 14 Challenger 2 tanks over the weekend.
Germany is the most criticized by the Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelensky, and their allies for their reluctance to supply the quintessential European tank, the Leopard. Amid the controversy, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht announced her resignation on Monday. Precisely, one of the tasks of her successor will be to decide on sending these tanks to Ukraine after Berlin already delivered the Gepard and Marder tanks to kyiv.
Suddenly, Ukrainian soldiers have begun training on US soil, specifically in Oklahoma, in the use of the Patriot anti-aircraft batteries that Washington has promised to send to Ukraine.
Kremlin warnings
The Russian leader criticized this Monday in a telephone conversation with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoganthe supply of heavy weapons to Ukraine.
“Putin drew attention to the destructive line of the Kyiv regime, which is betting on the intensification of hostilities with the support of Western patrons who increase supplies of weapons and military equipment,” the Kremlin reported.
This same Monday, the spokesman for the Russian Presidency, Dmitry Peskov, warned that Britain’s Challenger 2 tanks “will burn like the rest” of Western weaponry. The Kremlin added that new arms supplies to Ukraine will not be able to influence “the situation on the ground” and “can only lengthen the story and cause greater harm to the Ukrainian state.”
Ukraine, which has been using T-72 tanks for decades, has received more than 230 modernized Soviet tanks from Poland and the Czech Republic, but has yet to receive Western main battle tanks.
Source: Lasexta
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