Putin’s options in dealing with the retreat of his forces in front of the Ukrainian army

After the tide of progress on the battlefield between Russia and Ukraine shifted dramatically, at the beginning of this week, and the Ukrainian army announced the restoration of control over thousands of kilometers from the grip of Russian forces in the northeast of the country, several questions are raised regarding possible scenarios for the coming period, and the expected reaction by the president. Russian Vladimir Putin.

For its part, the British newspaper, The Times, warned of the “violent reaction of the Russian president,” noting that he was subjected to “internal criticism, even from those close to him and those who support his plans.”

Putin will become more dangerous than ever, the newspaper said, adding: “A blitzkrieg counterattack by the Ukrainian army forced Russia to abandon key towns, such as Izyum and Kubyansk in the Kharkiv region, arguably Moscow’s biggest setback in the war. Ukraine also captured large numbers of Russian armored vehicles and tanks, while retaking the territory.

The “Times” confirmed that any attempt by the Ukrainian army for a large-scale incursion into Russia, in reference to the Russian city of Belgorod, which is located only 25 miles from the Kharkiv region, will see the war enter a more dangerous stage.

Its (Russia) loss of large swaths of the Kharkiv region might accelerate internal tensions in Moscow. There are rumors that Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu might be replaced, while Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov criticized Russia’s military performance.

The American newspaper, Politico, agreed with the version of its British counterpart, and said that Putin’s problems are not only on the battlefield, and considered that the superiority of the Ukrainian army over its Russian counterpart in Kharkiv caused a “political and military headache” for Putin.

The newspaper pointed out that the Russian Defense Ministry refrained from making any comments regarding the situation in Kharkiv, during the first days of the Ukraine counter-offensive.

Biggest setbacks

The losses incurred by Russia over the past few days, which the American Wall Street Journal described as “one of its biggest setbacks” since the conflict began, were the focus of an article by the Defense Editor of the Daily Telegraph, Con Coughlin, which he wrote entitled “Putin’s imperial dream is collapsing before our eyes.” ».

Coughlin considered that “the Russian war is not going as planned, as evidenced by the Russian officials’ acknowledgment that they suffered a major defeat during the recent Ukrainian attack.”

He demonstrated his point of view by saying, “When facing any major setback throughout this conflict, Russia has always been indulging in secrecy, and this happened when Ukraine destroyed the Russian warship, the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet (Moskva), and instead of acknowledging that the warship sank because of the missile strikes. (Ukrainian), Moscow tried to convince the Russian people that a mysterious explosion on board was the cause.”

The writer noted that Russian commentators readily admitted that the Ukrainians had achieved an “important victory” through their dramatic attack on the northern front.

He believed that the sudden Ukrainian attack “might have potentially catastrophic repercussions on the Russian forces, as the penetration means that the Ukrainians are in a position to threaten Russia’s vital supply lines.”

big setback

He described the capture of the strategically important town of Kobyansk as a major setback for Russian forces, “because this town is the main supply depot for tens of thousands of Russian forces operating in the Kharkiv region, and its capture means that up to 15,000 Russian soldiers are now completely besieged, without access to Military supplies.

For its part, the British Financial Times commented on the recent progress made by Ukrainian forces as “the most surprising since Russia’s withdrawal from around Kyiv in March.”

However, the newspaper pointed out that “this does not mean that there is a quick end to the conflict in sight… Most likely the confrontation between the two sides will continue until spring in Europe.”

And the newspaper considered that high-precision Western weapons made the difference, turning the scales of the military equation in Kyiv’s favor, “and this reinforces the arguments for accelerating delivery of what was promised, as only half of the pledged weapons worth $16 billion were delivered, and more.”

She noted that Moscow “expressed a willingness to retaliate in the weekend (Sunday) strikes around Kharkiv, with the aim of depriving the civilian population of water and heating, and the situation around the Russian-controlled Zaporizhia nuclear power plant is still alarming.”

“Putin is under pressure,” she said. “The danger that he may seek to detonate or escalate is a danger that Western capitals must be vigilant and prepared for, but this danger should not deter them from continuing their strategy of support for Ukraine, which is showing signs that it is paying off.”

The Russian newspaper, Moscow Times, focused on what it described as “rare criticism”, when dozens of officials, including deputies from Moscow and St. Petersburg, called on President Putin to resign, in an open letter published Monday.

The Russian president’s call to step down comes amid allegations of vote-rigging in last weekend’s local and regional elections, as well as the massive advance of Ukrainian forces in recent days, which represents the biggest setback yet to Moscow’s war once morest Kyiv.

“President Putin’s actions are harmful to the future of Russia and its citizens,” the newspaper quoted Ksenia Torstream, a representative of the Semyonovsky district in Saint Petersburg, who signed the letter along with dozens of other officials. We demand that he resign as President of the Russian Federation.”

“Many pro-Kremlin figures have expressed their concern and frustration over the counter-attack launched by Kyiv,” the newspaper added.

The newspaper also cited what the political expert Viktor Olevich said, during a political talk show on one of the state TV channels, that “we were told that everything is going according to plan. Does anyone really think that six months ago the plan was to leave Balaklia, repel a counterattack in the Kharkiv region, and fail to take Kharkiv?”

Observers believe that Putin has not yet responded to Russia’s losses, so the question of whether the defeats will make him more or less a threat to Ukraine and the West remains open to all possibilities.

The Russian war is not going as planned, and the testimony of the Russian officials is the witness.

Russian commentators have admitted that the Ukrainians achieved an “important victory” with their dramatic attack on the northern front.

A sudden Ukrainian attack might have potentially catastrophic repercussions for Russian forces.