KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s top military commander says his forces now control 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) of Russia’s neighboring Kursk region, the first time a Ukrainian military official has publicly commented on the gains of the lightning incursion that has embarrassed the Kremlin.
Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi made the statement in a video posted Monday to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Telegram channel. In the video, he briefed the president on the front-line situation.
“The troops are fulfilling their tasks. Fighting continues actually along the entire front line. The situation is under our control,” Syrskyi said.
Russian forces are still scrambling to respond to the surprise Ukrainian attack after almost a week of fierce fighting.
Now what?
What’s the strategic payoff here?
They’ve crippled the only gas line to the EU and annexed a shit ton of land. I’d say that payoff was huge.
That gas line goes right into Ukraine, they could have blown it up anytime they wanted safely in their own territory. So I’m not sure that makes much sense. They have not done this previously to avoid angering EU allies funding them, as some still rely on it.
I think more likely explanations are it helps make it easier to strike and and shut down a very important rail route for Russian re supply, it brings the war to the Russian people in a way they can’t ignore, makes Putin look weak, draws Russian troops away from other fronts, and if the land is held gives Ukraine a bargaining chip in any future negotiations with Russia.
Blowing it up on their side leaves them with massive environmental damage, possible fire, and cleanup.
Doing it this way avoids that.
Fuck any country who gets gas from Russia. You’ve had two years to figure shit out. Tough titty.
How? Did they shut off gas to the EU?
Yep. And blew up what I gather are the two main buildings that housed the controls from the satellite photos I saw
Oh I didn’t know that. The Ukrainians and Russians have more or less mutually agreed not to mess with the gas supply thus far, since it benefits them both
I am not a military strategist, but I would guess that the territory will be used as leverage in negotiations for a cease fire. They probably cannot hold the region indefinitely, but they can push the boundaries and make Putin look weaker. They can also force Russia to move invasion forces to defend.
And that’s without factoring in the geographic and political implications in occupying the region.
Or - and hear me out - they go all the way to Moscow and overthrow the government.
No more war, problem solved!
I mean, invading Russia in the winter months doesn’t sound like a good idea to me.
If they skedaddle in a timely manner, they may end up with a morale-booster, and embarrassment for Putin, and an easing of pressure somewhere along the line due to the need for Russia to pull troops to retake this “little patch of ground that hath no profit in it but the name.”
If they stay and get wiped out, then I am not at all sure it will have been worth it.
If they stay and shift Russia firepower to having to blow up their own towns for a change, its also worthwhile. That might also limit the sort of arsenal Russia uses, and give them a buffer from attacks on Ukraine. They’ll need to build significant defenses though.
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Russia seemed to be planning to open another front on the Ukrainian side of the border here, so this has spiked that, seized the gas line, provided potentially ‘swappable’ territory, embarrassed the kremlin and diverted Russian reinforcements from other fronts.