The battle for Ukraine has entered a new phase. The fighting over the small towns of Bakhmut and Soledar in the north of the Donetsk region is the bloodiest fighting in months. Moscow has regained the initiative on the battlefield and rumors are circulating of a new mobilization for a winter offensive. While Kiev hopes for Western tanks, Vladimir Putin is convinced of Russia’s “certain victory”.
Russia’s missile manufacturers produce about as much per day as all countries in the world put together, Putin said Wednesday at a meeting with workers at an Almas-Antey factory. Therefore, Russia’s victory is ultimately “inevitable,” Putin said. “I do not doubt it.”
Putin: ‘We were fooled’
The president also said that since 2014 Russia has been trying to resolve the war in eastern Ukraine peacefully. That was not possible. “It turned out that we were fooled, cheated.” In reality, the adversary wanted to bring the conflict into a hot phase. Russia’s goal now is to end the war in Ukraine through the “military special operation”. Moscow had no choice, Putin claimed.
Russians are advancing
Meanwhile, Russia has crushed the front in the north of the Donetsk region with enormous force. Supported by massive artillery fire, infantrymen – mostly ex-convicts recruited by Wagner’s mercenaries – stormed the well-fortified Ukrainian defenses. Despite stubborn resistance, the soldiers slowly but surely advance position by position, house by house.
“Hell of the Earth”
Both parties speak of high losses, but exact figures are not available. Russia has turned the place into a “hell on earth”, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak laments. According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, both cities have been completely destroyed. “It’s very difficult: there are almost no intact walls left there,” the 44-year-old described the situation last week.
Speculations about new mobilization
However, Putin’s rumored demand for his new commander-in-chief in Ukraine, Valeri Gerasimov, to take the Donbass by March can probably only be achieved with fresh troops. That is why speculation about a new mobilization is mounting – despite the almost daily denials from the Kremlin.
Moscow can probably only start a new major offensive after further mobilization. It does not matter if the Russian army continues to use frontal attacks in the Donbass or evasive maneuvers from Zaporizhia in the south and possibly even from Belarus in the north. All three variants are circulating among military experts – but none of these potential attacks promises success without reinforcements.
Kiev hopes for Western tanks
Kiev, meanwhile, hopes to enforce these changes with Western military aid. Ukraine is counting on the meeting of defense ministers in Ramstein, Germany, at the end of this week. “300 tanks, 700 armored cars and 500 howitzers,” Chief of Staff Valeriy Saluschnyj had announced in an interview with the British “Economist” as the target for a successful large-scale offensive. The Czech Republic begins delivery of 100 refurbished T-72s. Polish President Andrzej Duda hopes European countries can supply 100 Leopard tanks. 14 are supplied by Poland itself, but the yes from Berlin is still missing.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
