Russian Outrage at Ukrainian Manoeuvres

 

"[Ukraine's attack on Kursk has ended] any possibility [of peace negotiations]."

"Who will negotiate with them after this, after the atrocities, the terror that they are committing against peaceful residents, the civilian population, civilian infrastructure and peaceful facilities."

Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman, Russian Foreign Ministry

Drone footage from a Ukrainian drone shows what Kyiv's military says are artillery strikes on Russian troops east of Pokrovsk on August 21.

 

Ah, now, who will negotiate with Ukraine now that it has returned the Kremlin compliment of territorial aggression complete with atrocities, terrorizing peaceful residents, destroying civilian infrastructure and peaceful facilities in Ukraine? The 'negotiations' in question being Vladimir Putin's rapacious insistence that Kyiv capitulate entirely to Moscow's position that three Ukrainian provinces are possessions of Greater Russia? As far from Ukraine's own position that all Russian military forces leave Ukraine, surrender its territorial rampage, and adjust the Russian economy to pay for Ukrainian reconstruction, as the distance from Earth to the Sun.

The Russian bear growling its supreme displeasure at a Ukraine that has the effrontery to defy Russian might and determination. As in how dare they! As for the latest Ukrainian successes in sending drones as far as Moscow to advise Mr. Putin that Ukraine too has the resources to threaten the peace and security of Russian citizens as Russia itself has exhibited all over Ukrainian territory for the two years that succeeded its 2014 misappropriation of Ukrainian geography annexing the Crimean Peninsula.

In the Ukrainian military's largest attack by drones Moscow was, once again, given fair notice that by targeting Ukraine, Russia itself is vulnerable to return targeting. Drone attacks reaching as far as Moscow coincided with Ukrainian forces continuing their pursuit of the Kursk region in western Russia. The past week has also seen Ukrainian forces strike three bridges, several airfields and an oil depot. Just exactly who do those Ukrainians think they are?

 

"This was one of the biggest attempts of all time to attack Moscow using drones", remarked Sergei Sobyanin, mayor of Moscow, adding that all the drones were shot down by strong defences positioned around the capital. The capital city of Imperialist Russia struck by drones;  unheard of. As in HOW DARE THEY!!! Kyiv now, that's a different matter. According to Russian military authorities, 45 Ukrainian drones in an overnight strike were downed by Russian forces; eleven of which were struck over the Moscow region.

Quite the accomplishment, Ukraine has demonstrated moving its focus on the front line into Russia's geographic heart; Moscow and St. Petersburg. Oh, and an Western Russian airport. Let's see now, latterly aerial assaults on Russian soil have targeted refineries and oil terminals. Their cumulative effect, to slow the Kremlin's assault on Ukraine. In Rostov bordering Ukraine, fire at an oil depot burned for the fourth day. 

These little victories have shored up Ukrainian morale and in so doing altered the fighting dynamic. Hope has arisen that these successful tactical manouevres could have the ultimate effect of hastening an end to the war. Beyond that, the reality that opening another front sees Ukrainian forces already badly stretched, even more so; active hostilities along over 970 kilometres, while Ukraine loses ground in the industrial region of Donbas to Moscow's intention to occupy the entire province.

The Geneva Convention representing the international humanitarian rules of war are being carefully respected by Ukraine. Russian forces have committed war crimes. A vast distance between the two in terms of humanitarian concerns and respect for the international order. Ukraine's decision in attacking the three bridges over the Kursk area Seym River has the potential to trap Russian forces between the river, the Ukrainian advance and the Ukrainian border. Its effect is already being seen.

Russian pontoon bridges and pontoon engineering equipment over the Seym have been struck west of the Ukrainian advance point. Ukraine's Army General Staff noted it had struck a Russian S-300 defence system 200 km behind enemy lines in the Rostov region. The S-300 had been used by Russian for ground strikes at Ukrainian troops and cities "destroying residential buildings and terrorizing the civilian population".