Home » Moscow’s wrath after the Ukrainian counter-offensive – Pierre Haski

Moscow’s wrath after the Ukrainian counter-offensive – Pierre Haski

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Moscow’s wrath after the Ukrainian counter-offensive – Pierre Haski

September 12, 2022 10:19 am

Not even the Ukrainians were hoping for so much. In less than a week, the Kiev army recaptured three thousand square kilometers of territory that was under the control of the Russian army, in northeastern Ukraine, near the large city of Kharkiv. The Ukrainian counter-offensive took the Russians by surprise and constitutes a turning point in the war, although it would be better to avoid drawing hasty conclusions. It is the second major Russian military failure of this Ukrainian campaign, after that of Kiev at the beginning of the invasion.

The Ukrainian success in this case is twofold. First of all it is psychological, with an innumerable series of videos in which the Ukrainian flag once again flies over the recaptured municipalities. It is a great blow to the morale of a state that has been at war for 200 days and is making enormous sacrifices.

Secondly, success is military. The videos show the impressive amount of abandoned or destroyed Russian material, even in the city of Izyum, a regional logistics center where warehouses full of crates of ammunition ended up in the hands of the Ukrainians. The Russians did not even have time to destroy them during the escape. The images also show many documents that will be analyzed by the Ukrainian intelligence services and no doubt also by the Western ones.

Abandonment of positions
How to explain this success? The determination of the Ukrainian forces is known. But what stands out, once again, is the disorganization and unpreparedness of the Russian army.

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How is it possible that an army equipped with satellites, drones and whistleblowers did not notice that the Ukrainians were gathering troops and armored vehicles for their counter-offensive? How is it possible that the Russians found themselves with no choice but to retreat without putting up real resistance?

It is therefore up to the Russian president to react, which he has not yet done

The general staff of Moscow recognized the abandonment of positions, but presented it as a consequence of the regrouping of their forces. The Ukrainians, for their part, speak of the panic flight of Russian soldiers, who would have abandoned even food. Some Russian soldiers would have fled on bicycles so as not to serve as targets inside the tanks.

The most interesting impact of the story is the one that occurs in Russia, where for two days we have witnessed a change of tone. The propaganda broadcasts on Russian TV, which for three months boasted the virility and power of the Kremlin army, have given way to anger and disbelief. A famous commentator called for a strike on the NATO countries and quoted Stalin, according to which those who panicked must be shot down.

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More significantly, on 11 September, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, after sending several contingents to Ukraine and marching through the ruins of Mariupol, questioned Moscow’s strategy. Kadyrov said that if things do not change, in the next few days he will go to speak with the boss, namely Vladimir Putin.

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It is therefore up to the Russian president to react, which he has not yet done. The paradox is that Putin is challenged not by those who oppose the war, but by those who reproach him for not having it yet. The head of the Kremlin has not yet said the last word, and the risk of a crescendo is great. Since the evening of 11 September, a rain of missiles has been hitting several cities, and the electricity has been cut off in three regions. This is the revenge of the tsar.

(Translation by Andrea Sparacino)

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