Russian offensive in Ukraine ends, goes over to defence. By Jim Dunnigan.
Civilians are advised to flee any Russian offensive because the Russians are treating Ukrainian civilians worse than the World War II Nazis did.
The Russians are rounding up civilians, forcing some into labor units and sending the rest to internment camps in Russia, where they are hostages to encourage the men in labor units to not resist. They can always find a few locals willing to work for a new pro-Russian government. Russians will be encouraged to migrate to “liberated” Ukraine and occupy the homes and take over businesses left behind by Ukrainians who fled or were interned for refusing to collaborate.
Many Russians are appalled with these policies and the fact that the rest of the world sees Russians as 21st century Nazis. Ukrainians sum this up with some humor, describing the large white “Z” used to identify Russian vehicles as half of a swastika, as the other half was stolen by corrupt Russian officials.
Fortunately for the Ukrainians, Russian troop morale and performance has not been enthusiastic, in part because about a third of the invaders have been killed, wounded or captured in the first month of the war. This made surviving or newly recruited Russians troops even less eager to fight their better prepared and armed neighbors.
The fight is now over as Russia plans to annex portions of Ukraine they occupy and have their reluctant troops go on the defensive and force the Ukrainians to take heavy losses. That’s not how the Ukrainians operate and new tactics have been developed which defeat Russian defenders with far fewer losses among the Ukrainian attackers.
Russia could end it all by withdrawing from Ukrainian territory but that option is seen as the last one by Russian leaders. Some Russian military leaders and analysts insist withdrawal is the best option and should be used sooner rather than eventually. The unprecedented economic sanctions and potential long-term damage to the Russian economy make a withdrawal from Ukraine an attractive option.
This is not the case with the political leaders who ordered and backed the invasion and many officers who committed war crimes while in Ukraine. It’s a struggle between most Russians who want out of the war and the few who ordered it and face retribution if Russia does not achieve some kind of victory.
Russia hasn’t lost yet, but it will. It should cut its losses immediately and go into damage control.
Russia has gained nothing from this war, but earned the enmity and distrust of the west, badly damaged its economy, and slipped down the status ladder in everyone’s eyes. Putin is going to go out as a loser, or start WWIII. Too bad, because on cultural issues he was a major asset for western civilization.
