What Does Russia's Strategic Shift Mean for the Further Course of the War in Ukraine?
While Russia says its invasion of Ukraine has entered a new phase, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reiterated his call for peace talks with the Kremlin to end the war. Russian troops have seized control of the town of Slavutych, home to workers of the defunct Chernobyl nuclear site, the governor of the Kyiv region said. The town is close to Ukraine's border with Belarus and sits just outside the exclusion zone that was established around Chernobyl after the 1986 nuclear disaster. Ukrainian staff have continued to work there even after the plant was seized by Russian forces last month. Governor of the Kyiv region Oleksandr Pavlyuk said troops had occupied the town's hospital and kidnapped the mayor. Media reports later said the mayor had been released. Neither account could be independently verified. Pavlyuk said Slavutych's residents took to the streets with Ukrainian flags to protest against Russia's assault.
Yeah, I agree, this is a way to save face. This is them pretending a strategic withdrawal to regroup in the eastern part of Ukraine is something other than a retreat. They are "Advancing to the rear".
"Successful completion of the first phase" sounds like something a politician would come up with when there are no real victories to report.
Since Putin isn't able to conquer all of Ukraine, Putin’s end game is to have Ukraine permanently concede Crimea, the separatist eastern region, and the coastline on the Sea of Azov for a Russian land bridge. This what happened during the Russian vs. Finland war in 1939. Russia made Finland concede territories in exchange for peace.
So let me get the straight, the objective of phase one was to reach the outskirts of major cities, have failed offensives, then shell the cities and pull back. Putin needs a new plan.
