Russia’s assault is slow and brutal, but it is proving effective in achieving Russia’s goals.
Those objectives include building a land bridge from Russian territory to Crimea (and possibly beyond to Odessa), cutting Ukraine off from access to the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea and surrounding Ukrainian troops in the east behind a wall of control that runs roughly from Kharkiv to Kherson and Mykolaiv.
Once that wall of control is established, the Ukrainian army trapped behind the line will have no choice but to surrender or face annihilation.
Media Silence
It is estimated 10,000 or more Ukrainian army troops in eastern Ukraine are under Russian artillery barrage. This battle may take weeks to play out, but Russian victory is likely given the extent to which the Ukrainians are outnumbered and outgunned.
If the Ukrainian forces fall, there will be little left in the east to stop a Russian consolidation that would give control of about a third of Ukraine to Russia.
It is estimated 10,000 or more Ukrainian army troops in eastern Ukraine are under Russian artillery barrage. This battle may take weeks to play out, but Russian victory is likely given the extent to which the Ukrainians are outnumbered and outgunned.
If the Ukrainian forces fall, there will be little left in the east to stop a Russian consolidation that would give control of about a third of Ukraine to Russia.
This unfolding battle is not what you’ll be hearing about in legacy media outlets in the West. But don’t be lulled into false confidence by propaganda and bad reporting.
Russia is winning the financial war, and they’re winning on the ground. Meanwhile, the U.S. continues to pursue a policy of escalation against Russia.
Poking the Bear Even Harder
Biden and the Pentagon seem to have no understanding of the dangers of escalation and no capacity to act with the needed restraint. We’ve seen this play out already in Ukraine where the U.S. has first supplied weapons, then money, then intelligence, then financial sanctions and more.
Russia has responded in kind with its own countersanctions and its own advanced weaponry including anti-drone missiles and precision artillery strikes. The latest move in the wrong direction comes from Biden.
Biden announced Tuesday that he intends to send advanced rocket artillery systems to Ukraine. That’s a complete reversal from the day before, when he said the U.S. would not deliver the rockets to Ukraine.
The administration justified its initial refusal to send them on the grounds that Russia may perceive the move as a step too far, a serious provocation. What changed in the course of a day? Did they suddenly decide that it wasn’t that provocative after all?
Regardless, this type of vacillation is indicative of a policy team that doesn’t really know what it’s doing from one day to the next...
Biden and the Pentagon seem to have no understanding of the dangers of escalation and no capacity to act with the needed restraint. We’ve seen this play out already in Ukraine where the U.S. has first supplied weapons, then money, then intelligence, then financial sanctions and more.
Russia has responded in kind with its own countersanctions and its own advanced weaponry including anti-drone missiles and precision artillery strikes. The latest move in the wrong direction comes from Biden.
Biden announced Tuesday that he intends to send advanced rocket artillery systems to Ukraine. That’s a complete reversal from the day before, when he said the U.S. would not deliver the rockets to Ukraine.
The administration justified its initial refusal to send them on the grounds that Russia may perceive the move as a step too far, a serious provocation. What changed in the course of a day? Did they suddenly decide that it wasn’t that provocative after all?
Regardless, this type of vacillation is indicative of a policy team that doesn’t really know what it’s doing from one day to the next...
- Source, The Daily Reckoning via James Rickards
