News is filtering in from the internet and usually pro-Ukrainian news sources this morning of a potential disaster for the Kiev government as the strategic village of Debaltseve which reportedly has somewhere between 5,000 to 7,000 Ukrainian soldiers and militia contained within the pocket. From EMPR Media in the Ukraine:
Debaltseve is surrounded by the enemy forces: another Illovaysk?
The city of Debaltseve, which is located on the south west of Luhansk is obviously in a very tense situation now. The map shows that the Enemy forces (i.e.: Russian regular army and militants (internal and imported, moreover fully supported and equippted by Russia) almost surrounded the city.
In August 2014, Ukrainian armed forces together with volunteer Battalions were surrounded as well in Illovaysk. Operation aimed to liberate those city failed and Ukrainian side got heavy losses. Due to unofficial statistics more that 1000 of Ukrainian soldiers were killed, captured by Russian forces or remain missing up to now.
A Ukrainian artilery man, who currently serves in Debaltsevo admitted that between September 5,2014 and there January 21,2015 Ukrainian positions were shelled by the Russian forces’s Grad missiles over 3000 times.
More @ John Galt
There is also a free Stratfor red alert on a possible Russian move to secure a land route to the Crimea. www.stratfor.com/analysis/red-alert-update-heart-mariupol-crisis#axzz3PrPTAJaI
ReplyDeletePutin is leaving them a back door. Retreat and leave it? Tough call.
ReplyDeleteKiev has stated that they don't have sufficient strength to defeat the rebels, so seems they have but one logical choice.
DeleteBut then geo-political considerations rear their ugly heads. This is a tough call. Putin isn't even sure what he's going to do. The credit downgrade won't help the situation on the ground there.
DeleteThe credit downgrade won't help the situation on the ground there.
DeleteNo, but I read he won't back down since he would lose more at home as his approval rate has gone up since the beginning of the shenanigans.