Ukrainian forces staged an overnight ambush on a Russian convoy 25 miles inside the international border in Russia’s Kursk province, as the Kremlin declared a federal emergency and said it was transferring extra forces to try to snuff out a four-day incursion that has badly damaged its credibility.
A video circulated by Russian military bloggers showed a destroyed convoy, with bodies just visible inside some trucks, on the E38 east-west highway at Oktyabrskoe, a location far deeper inside Russia than any previously confirmed fighting since Ukraine’s forces crossed the border on Tuesday.
Commentators said the attack, reminiscent of Ukrainian attacks on Russian troops besieging Kyiv in the first weeks of the war, demonstrated an effective hit-and-run strategy, but the incursion appeared likely to draw an escalating response from the Kremlin, and its overall outcome remains profoundly uncertain.
What is certain is russia can no longer ignore their lightly defended border drawing resources from their occupation.
but the incursion appeared likely to draw an escalating response from the Kremlin, and its overall outcome remains profoundly uncertain.
That’s the entire point. Force the Russians to over commit. Then pull back. Depending on how involved the Ukrainians want the area to be they might stick to raiding. Or they could be digging in hard behind the raiding right now, making ready to make the Russians pay dearly for every inch. But either way they know it’s temporary.
Unless the Russians fuck it up so badly the Ukrainians don’t need to leave.
Well if the Russian playbook is the same, they will have to raze their own villages to get them back.
Even if they now activate conscripts to do this, the casualty rate will be high and involve people from all over Russia. So the Russian public will be made aware of the costs.
And Ukranians can do what they do on the eastern front, pull back in defensive manner and concede ground in a controlled manner. Forcing the Russians to remain on the offensive when they actually cannot anymore.
I personally think the Russians are overcommitted already, cannibalizing everything everywhere. We will now see what they can muster from what is left.
How long until China simply attacks Russia and absorbs 50%+ of their land mass?
I dont understand, why doesn’t Ross, the largest of the friends, not simply eat the other friends?
My, how the fucking turn tables
Risky move. How russians will retaliate?
That’s the point, how will they indeed?
This forces Russia into a real dilemma. They can’t just obliterate the Ukrainians with artillery, since doing so would destroy their own oil distribution hub and cut off their own income. They also can’t not do it, since this is a major fiasco, and it becomes worse as time goes by.
So indeed, how will the Russians retaliate? All the risk is on their side now.
Complain at the UN about how this is totally unfair and they’re not allowed to do that?
That is not a joking suggestion; I predict that sometime next week, that exact thing will happen.
Hmm, seems like it didn’t after all. They are too busy scrambling their defenses and trying to tell their own people that everything is normal.
They did. Everyone just ignored it.
!remindme 1 week
Yes hello
Good bot!
There’s no way that works.
!remindme 1 week
I try.
that has badly damaged its credibility.
People should REALLY stop using that word when they mean perceived military strength!
Military strength isn’t credibility and the Russian government isn’t credible no matter how well or how badly its army of fascists and forced conscripts is performing.
I read it as credibility with Russia’s citizens. They believed that their government will prevent any attack coming to Russian soil.
Yes, this is how I understood it too. Putin is only in power because the leaders and citizens believe he is a strong leader. Allowing the enemy to strike so far into Russian territory weakens that credibility and risks someone removing him.
