Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: Dazhi Image/Archyde.com (file photo)
The Russian-Ukrainian war was at a stalemate, and the Russian army gradually lost and retreated in the eastern battlefield. Foreign media pointed out that Russian President Vladimir Putin directly participated in the command, and also refused the withdrawal request of the Russian commander of Kherson, on the grounds that he was worried about affecting the situation in Wunan.
According to the “New York Times” report on the 23rd, Ukraine has gradually regained much of its territory in the northeastern Kharkiv state, causing Russia to lose a lot of manpower and weapons. And Putin refused to approve the withdrawal of the Russian army from Kherson, because this was the first major city captured by Russia and the only state capital currently controlled by the Russian army, which was crucial to the situation in Wunan.
U.S. intelligence officials revealed that if Putin agreed to retreat, it would be equivalent to giving Ukraine its second major victory within a month and humiliating its defeat in the war. But the news of Putin’s refusal to retreat has severely dampened the morale of the Russian army, worrying that after the supply line is destroyed, it will be besieged by the Ukrainian army. This also shows the contradiction between the leader and the commander. The Russian commander believes that if he withdraws from Kherson now, the army can be reorganized and deployed again and the front line can be opened.
Mark Milley, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said bluntly that it is too early to make a comprehensive assessment. He believes that now the strategic initiative has been transferred to Ukraine, and there is still a long way to go.
Michael Kofman, a Russian military expert at the Center for Naval Analysis (CNA), a U.S. think tank, mentioned that there has always been a gap between Putin’s political goals and the Russian military’s ability to achieve these goals. Putin often refuses to recognize reality until options are available. get worse.