The Kremlin hopes to keep the previously seized territories in Ukraine. Moscow also wants to use its energy leverage to put pressure on Kyiv and Brussels in possible diplomatic talks.
The Russians will push their troops into areas where they think the chances of defense are the highest. Alexander Musienko, head of the Center for Military Legal Research, spoke about this Channel 24.
Moscow is waiting for winter
The observer noted that now the Russians will try to hold on to those lines where they think it will be easiest for them to continue to defend .
Russian troops will be predictable. That is, the Russian tactics now and the strategy will be to play as much time as possible until winterto prevent the Ukrainian forces from de-occupying and recapturing as many territories as possible,” Musienko said.
In his opinion, the Kremlin hopes that they will be able to cause an energy collapse in Europe and Ukraine, which will force everyone to negotiate with them.
“That is, they will play for time as much as possible and therefore overturn the troops in those directions where they believe that they can still count on something and at least hold some territories,” he stressed head of the TsIPI.
Remains of the Kharkov group
The expert noted that the fact that the Russian invaders overturn their troops fleeing the Kharkiv region to the south-west of the Donetsk region is an “interesting situation”.
“Imagine the naivety of these commanders and” commanders “who seriously think that the forces retreating under our pressure, leaving weapons and ammunition, can strengthen the groups in the area of Avdiivka, Donetsk and Bakhmut… They think that they can become some kind of motivated combat unit,” the specialist explained.
According to him, if this logic dominates the Russian command, then they are afraid that Ukrainian forces could hit them in the area of Bakhmut, Maryinka, Avdiivka.
This does not mean that this could be a repetition of such movements as in the Kharkiv region, but this could mean that the enemy could be thrown back further – deeper … And win back a better position in terms of the disposition of our forces. Perhaps they are afraid for this, Musienko added.
“Infrastructural” terrorism
The observer said that Russia's actions are aimed at trying to hit critical infrastructure or disrupt electricity supplies to Europe in order to complicate the situation.
Because Ukraine today guarantees a lot in the energy security of the EU. We supply electricity there and have already supplied 3 billion in the previous period. Russia disrupts this process in the same way. Besides, they want to cause us problems. Thus, they think that they can somehow influence the resistance of the Ukrainian people. – the expert believes.
According to him, this means that for 200 days of full-scale Russian aggression in Russia they have not been studied and cannot understand the public and socio-economic moods in Ukraine. In his opinion, the infidels should have understood long ago that any attacks on cities and civilian infrastructure only increase the resistance of the Ukrainian people, and not reduce it.
“These are their plans, they will try to implement them. I think we know this, and we will thwart them as soon as we can … Moving further and de-occupying Ukrainian territory, strengthening our air defense capabilities to shoot down Russian missiles,” Musienko summed up.
De-occupation of Kharkiv region: what is known
- The Armed Forces of Ukraine have already liberated 3,800 square kilometers of Kharkiv region from Russian troops. The number of de-occupied cities and villages has reached 300. Approximately 150,000 Ukrainians have become free from occupation.
- On September 8, President Volodymyr Zelensky officially confirmed that the Armed Forces of Ukraine had sacked the city of Balakleya. On September 9, the National Guard announced that it was possible to liberate the village of Volokhov Yar;
- On September 11, the Armed Forces of Ukraine fired Novaya Gusarovka near Balakleya. Ukrainian heroes also liberated the city of Kupyansk. The villages of Savintsy and Martovo also returned to Ukrainian control.
- Subsequently, Ukrainian defenders returned 2 more villages to Ukrainian control: Vasilenkovo and Artemovka. On September 11, the President confirmed that the Armed Forces of Ukraine managed to liberate the village of Chkalovskoe;
- Subsequently, the 107th separate brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces of Bukovina demonstrated that the Ukrainian flag was installed in Bolshaya Kamyshevas, as well as in Kazachya Lopan.< /li>
- After the liberation of Izyum, it became known that the Russians killed at least 1000 local residents, and 80% of the city was destroyed.
