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Following the recent success of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, the Russian military was divided on how best to respond to the advances. At a time when Russia is forced to play defensively in both eastern and southern Ukraine, it is President Putin himself who will give direct direction to the generals on the ground.
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The information was revealed to CNN by two sources familiar with US and Western intelligence, who he describes the tactic as highly unusual in a modern army.. They suggest that this is further evidence of a dysfunctional command structure.
Multiple sources also report that there are significant differences at the strategic level in deciding where to concentrate efforts to reinforce defensive lines. The Russian Defense Minister said that troops are being deployed in Kharkiv (in the northeast), a region where the Ukrainian forces have recorded one of the most important victories. However, reports are coming from the West of a different strategy, with Russian troops remaining in the south of the country, where Ukraine has also launched a counter-offensive, particularly in the Kherson region.
The list of weapons from Ukraine to the US, a risky plan and the inexperienced Russian battalion: the backstage of the counteroffensive in Kharkiv
This week was marked by the Russian president’s announcement of a “partial military mobilization”, where they will be called to fight 300 thousand reservistsin an attitude that is being described as a sign of “weakness” and “desperation”.
For now it is not clear what impact this measure will have on the progress of the conflict. In the daily report on the war, the British Ministry of Defense considers that Russian partial mobilization will have no effect., as it poses complex logistical problems and will be unpopular with the population. The discontent has already been shown by the recent protests in several Russian cities where, according to a count by the civil rights organization OVD-Info, 1,386 people were detained.
The Institute for the Study of War also considers that the mobilization may not have any impact on the ground offense in the short to medium term. “Putin’s order to mobilize part of Russia’s ‘trained’ reserve, that is, people who have completed their mandatory conscription service, will not generate significant Russian combat power that can be used for months,” the think tank says. .
Mobilizing reserve soldiers won’t change course of war, think tank says
For now, Russia plots a favorable adhesion to the mobilization. According to the Russian authorities, on the first day some 10,000 people have already volunteered to fight in Ukraine. However, after the measure, trips outside Russia, and only with a one-way ticket, began to run out. Attempts to access the page of the Russian state railways ended up blocking it.
Source: Observadora
