Kiev is lobbying Washington for the green light to fire ATACMS missiles on military targets across Russia. In other words, within a week or so of Biden saying that such attacks could only be launched against targets close to the border in the Kharkiv borderlands, Ukraine wants more. Why does Ukraine want more? Apparently because of Russian designs on Kharkiv city. But Russia has never said it wants to take Kharkiv. It has been stalled temporarily in Lyptsi and Vovchansk, and, yes, has been bombing Kharkiv city in an effort to cut supply chains to the border, and is also reported to have struck at a military hospital). Russia believes that Kharkiv is now the source of Ukrainian attacks on Belgorod. But so far as taking Kharkiv is concerned, Russia has said only that for the time being it wants to establish a 10 mile buffer zone. The numbers of troops in Russia’s first borderlands invasion was around 15,000 men and has since risen to 25,000, still far too few to take a city the size of Kharkiv. Russia has also warned, however, that in the event that Ukraine fires long range missiles into Russia then it will need to expand the buffer zone.
(Revised:) Counter-Productive Escalations
(Revised:) Counter-Productive Escalations
(Revised:) Counter-Productive Escalations
Kiev is lobbying Washington for the green light to fire ATACMS missiles on military targets across Russia. In other words, within a week or so of Biden saying that such attacks could only be launched against targets close to the border in the Kharkiv borderlands, Ukraine wants more. Why does Ukraine want more? Apparently because of Russian designs on Kharkiv city. But Russia has never said it wants to take Kharkiv. It has been stalled temporarily in Lyptsi and Vovchansk, and, yes, has been bombing Kharkiv city in an effort to cut supply chains to the border, and is also reported to have struck at a military hospital). Russia believes that Kharkiv is now the source of Ukrainian attacks on Belgorod. But so far as taking Kharkiv is concerned, Russia has said only that for the time being it wants to establish a 10 mile buffer zone. The numbers of troops in Russia’s first borderlands invasion was around 15,000 men and has since risen to 25,000, still far too few to take a city the size of Kharkiv. Russia has also warned, however, that in the event that Ukraine fires long range missiles into Russia then it will need to expand the buffer zone.