PUTIN CUTS HIS LOSSES: Top General says focus is now on liberating Donbas
For weeks now, it has been common knowledge that Russia's goal of swiftly taking Ukraine was never going to happen. Led by President Volodymyr Zelenksyy, the Ukrainians have pushed back and left Russian troops in disarray, so much so that many are now abandoning their posts, surrendering, and even shooting themselves to leave the frontlines.
We've heard reports of Russian President Vladimir Putin turning to China, Syria, and even North Korea for help, but it seems he really is on his own. Even Belarus has been unable to join the offensive, after mass resignations and defections. A furious Putin has now reportedly called for his own troops to be shot if they refuse to fight, but it has done little to help Russia's advance.
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So it should come as little surprise that the reality may finally be starting to sink in for the Kremlin. After weeks of denying things were going badly, the Russian military appeared to acknowledge a shift in goals. In a briefing on March 25, General Sergei Rudskoy, first deputy chief of Russia's General Staff said the "first stage" of Russia's plan is now complete and said it was moving towards another goal entirely.
Is Russia giving up on Kyiv capture?
When he announced the invasion, Putin was clear he wanted to "denazify" and "demilitarize" the entire of Ukraine, but 30 days in, Russia has made limited gains in the south and east only. Major cities like Kyiv, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, and Odesa still remain under Urkaine's control or are being heavily contested. Russia only controls the cities of Kherson, Melitopol, and Mariupol, but there too, defiant residents have taken to these streets to protest the invaders.
Of the cities, Kyiv remains the biggest failed mission so far. A Russian convoy around 40 miles long had been making a slow advance towards the capital, but now appears to be stuck entirely. Parts of the convoy have since been redeployed to other areas, but the capture of Kyiv remains elusive. Last reports indicated the convoy had dug itself in and built defenses to protect itself from Ukrainian military assaults.
With the war now largely a stalemate, it appears Russia has shifted its plans from taking the entire country to just a part of it. "In general, the main tasks of the first stage of the operation have been completed," Rudskoy said. He added, "The combat potential of the armed forces of Ukraine has been significantly reduced, allowing us, I emphasize again, to focus the main efforts on achieving the main goal - the liberation of Donbas."
As for the massive blockades of Kyiv and other cities, Rudskoy indicated their presence was in line with Putin's original goal of destroying the Ukrainian military. "These actions are carried out with the aim of causing such damage to military infrastructure, equipment, personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the results of which allow us not only to tie down their forces and prevent them from strengthening their grouping in the Donbas but also will not allow them to do this until the Russian army completely liberates the territories of the DPR and LNR," Rudskoy said.
The comments clearly indicate that Russia is now entirely focused on the Donbas region, where it has been fighting a proxy war since 2014. Of course, there's no official acknowledgment that the capture of Kyiv and other cities is over, but it certainly seems like it. Russia is not only suffering from heavy military losses but a collapsing economy as well. The change in tune could allow Putin to claim victory, if he managed to get the Donbas region alone, but not the rest of Ukraine. Whether it means the war is over or not for the rest of the country, only time will tell.