After a recent visit to the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has rarely been outside the capital Kyiv since the start of the Russian invasion, visited the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv for the first time on Saturday.
A video released by the Ukrainian presidency shows Zelensky visiting a severely damaged apartment building and holding meetings with local officials in the Ukrainian-controlled coastal and industrial town of Mykolaiv, which is close to Kherson. Controlled by the Russians. From mid-March
This southern city is still an important target and a valuable prey for Moscow, as part of its plans to expand its control over all of eastern and southern Ukraine, as it is located on Odessa Road, Ukraine’s largest port.
Observers believe that with such visits to the Line of Fire cities and the first encounters, such as Mikuliyev in the south and Kharkiv in the east, Zelensky wants to say that Kyiv will not relinquish its lands east of the Donbas Basin and east of the Basin. The South Sea and that it will continue to defend and resist Russian attacks in those areas.
According to them, he is trying to raise the morale of his forces in those hot spots where the war has almost subsided, and to send the message that he is not besieged in Kyiv, but is wandering on the front lines. War with the Russians in the east and south.
Military experts deny that such visits make a difference on the ground, as the Russians are advancing on the eastern and southern fronts, especially in the battle for the east in the Donbas Basin.
“It seems clear that Russia is the military decision-maker,” Mohannad al-Azzawi, a military and strategic expert, told Sky News Arabic about the consequences of Zelensky’s visit to Mykolaev and Russia’s expected response. He is thinking of strengthening his control and success along the coastline and throughout the eastern region of Ukraine and going to Odessa. , Which must be controlled in order to besiege and later seize Odessa so that the Russians can tighten their grip on the entire Ukrainian navy until they tighten Kyiv’s ability to export and receive Western weapons and equipment. .
He added: “They can secure the Russian navy in the Black Sea against Ukrainian targets, especially since a modern surface-to-air missile system is based in Mykolaiv and has a Volkin air base there.” It is often used to attack Russian forces by Ukrainian air force, in addition to the naval brigade. 36 Ukrainians, who are also used to curb Russia’s advance from Mykolaiv, in addition to the presence of numerous stores and depots of weapons, arsenal and ammunition, which makes it a valuable target for Moscow and ensures that the smooth process And Kherson, which is close to being easily annexed to Russia, is a process that, as we know, is going on.
“The Russians are moving forward with balance and determination to achieve their goals in eastern and southern Ukraine, and their field success there is good given the extent of Western military support for Kiev,” the military expert said. In any case, the Mikulife near the Dnieper River and overlooks it is doubly vital. The river is considered a strategic waterway at the scene of the operation, in addition to Russia’s control over the Mikulife leading to the sea. Opens. The Russians will head to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, if they return and again adopt the option of besieging the capital and trying to control it.
Source: Lebanon Debate
