Putin remained unmoved despite strong indications that his forces suffered heavy losses in Ukraine’s counteroffensive this month. The Russian leader said the main goal of the campaign remains “the liberation of the entire territory of Donbas” – the largely Russian-speaking regions of eastern Ukraine, including Donetsk and Luhansk. “The plan is not subject to adjustment,” Putin said. “Our offensive operations in Donbass itself do not stop. They are advancing at a slow pace… The Russian army is occupying newer and newer territories.” He accused Ukrainian forces of attempting to carry out “terrorist acts” and causing damage to Russian civilian infrastructure. “We are really very restrained in our response to this at the moment,” Putin told a news conference on Friday. “If the situation continues to develop in this way, the response will be more serious.”
“imperialist goal”
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke by phone with Putin on Tuesday after a gap of several months. According to the German government, the conversation lasted 90 minutes. “The Russian president is pursuing his imperialist goal of annexing part of the neighboring territory,” Solz told German broadcaster Deutschlandfunk. Solz insisted on a diplomatic solution to the war in Ukraine, telling Putin it had to include a ceasefire, a full withdrawal of Russian troops and respect for Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty. German weapons helped make “the difference and made possible the successes, the current successes, that Ukraine is recording,” he added. Soltz said there was “definitely a shift” in Putin’s tone about the war, but it was not significant.
“Persistent” Russian defense
Russian forces are building a new defense line in northeastern Ukraine after Kiev troops breached the previous one, defense officials and analysts said Saturday. The new defense line is likely between the Oskil River and Svatove, 150 km (90 miles) southeast of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, the UK Ministry of Defense said in a briefing. The realignment of the frontline comes after a Ukrainian counteroffensive punctured the previous one in the war and recaptured large swaths of land in the northeastern Kharkiv region bordering Russia. Moscow “likely considers it important to maintain control of this zone because it passes through one of the few main supply routes that Russia still controls from Russia’s Belgorod region,” the British military said. “A stubborn defense of this area” was likely, but it remained unclear whether the Russians would be able to withstand another concerted Ukrainian attack, it said.
“Probably too weak”
Ukrainian forces continue to cross the key Oskil River in the Kharkiv region as they try to press a counteroffensive targeting Russian-held territory, according to the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War. The institute said in its report on Saturday that satellite images it reviewed suggested that Ukrainian forces had crossed over to the eastern bank of Oskil in Kupyansk, placing artillery there. The river, which flows south from Russia into Ukraine, has been a natural break in the emerging front lines since Ukraine began its push about a week ago. “Russian forces are likely too weak to prevent further Ukrainian advances along the entire Oskil River if Ukrainian forces choose to resume offensive operations,” the institute said. Videos released online on Saturday showed Ukrainian forces also continuing to seize land in the eastern region of the country. One video showed a Ukrainian soldier walking past a building, its roof damaged, then pointing over his shoulder at a colleague who was hoisting the blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flag atop a cell phone tower. The soldier in the video identified the seized village as Dibrova, just northeast of the city of Sloviansk and southeast of the embattled city of Liman in Ukraine’s Donetsk region. Another online video showed two Ukrainian soldiers in what appeared to be a bell tower. A Ukrainian flag was hoisted as a soldier said they had captured the village of Shurove, northeast of Sloviansk. Elsewhere in Ukraine, Russian forces continued to pound towns and villages with rockets and shelling.
“Closer to victory and peace”
Western military aid to Ukraine has been vital in its fight against Russia’s invasion and the political will to continue its mission must not waver, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said Saturday at a meeting of NATO’s Military Committee. “The ongoing counteroffensive proves that military aid brings Ukraine closer to victory and peace. Our focus must be on scaling up our aid and arms deliveries to push back Russian aggression as soon as possible,” Callas said in a speech. Admiral Rob Bauer, chairman of NATO’s Military Commission, also praised Kiev’s recent successes on the battlefield. “We are all in awe of the tremendous courage of the Ukrainian armed forces and the Ukrainian people who have overcome their adversary time and time again… Winter is coming but our support will remain unwavering. It is clear that this conflict is bigger than Ukraine. The entire international rules-based order is under attack,” Bauer said.
