While one month left behind in the Russia-Ukraine war, a remarkable statement came from Russia. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the objectives of the first phase of the “operation” have been achieved and it has been suggested that the focus will now be on the “liberation” of the Donbas region. However, experts warned that the attacks will continue on Ukrainian soil and that Russia’s statement of concentration on Donbas may be a trap.
Russia had previously pointed to much bigger ambitions, but plans changed due to the fierce resistance of the Ukrainian forces, logistical problems in the Russian army and loss of morale.
According to a US official who spoke anonymously, Russia “placed Donbas higher on the priority list and became more aggressive in that area.
However, this seems contradictory to the Russian Defense Ministry’s statement that the invasion will continue “until the goals set by Vladimir Putin are met”.
Attacks on Ukrainian cities that show no signs of giving up will continue for a long time and more deaths and injuries are inevitable, the UK Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
“Russia continues to besiege some major Ukrainian cities, including Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Mariupol,” the ministry said on its Twitter account.
“Russian forces are proving unwilling to engage in large-scale urban infantry operations, preferring to rely on indiscriminate air and artillery bombardments to demoralize the defense forces. As Russia appears to limit its already significant losses at the cost of further civilian casualties, It is likely to continue to use its heavy firepower in urban areas.”
UKRAINE CAN BE TRAPED
On the other hand, according to British intelligence officials, Russia’s statement that it will concentrate on Donbas is nothing but a war tactic. Russia may be baiting Ukraine by pulling troops from other parts of the country to Donbas. If Ukrainian soldiers go on the offensive in this situation, they may face the trap of the Russians.