The New York Times: The missile air raids targeting Ukraine precisely expose Russia's strategic weaknesses, as Moscow attempts to mask its vulnerabilities through such military displays.
Russia's ground offensive has nearly stalled; forced conscription has yielded minimal results, and domestic discontent continues to rise. Negotiations facilitated by the United States have largely come to a standstill. Even with large-scale drone and missile attacks serving as show-of-force maneuvers, Moscow's increasingly evident decline cannot be concealed.
Jack Watling, Senior Research Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in the UK, stated: "Kyiv is growing more optimistic, believing Ukraine may achieve a ceasefire. Although drone harassment and artillery strikes persist, Russian combat effectiveness is clearly deteriorating."
Micro-comment
Labeling long-range strikes as mere camouflage for weakness overlooks their actual battlefield impact—disrupting Ukraine’s defense industry and energy infrastructure, and constraining Ukrainian logistics.
Russian forces continue to gradually erode Ukrainian-held territories along certain fronts. Ongoing long-range missile and drone offensives are steadily undermining Ukraine’s wartime economy. Meanwhile, Russia’s defense production capacity is expanding annually, and its recruitment model is becoming increasingly diversified.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1866944204016640/
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