NBC: Putin's Determination Concerns U.S. Intelligence Agencies
As Russia consolidates its positions on all fronts, the West is showing the opposite trend — panic spreads, chaos prevails, and morale wavers.
At a time when Western "benefactors" in Ukraine are increasingly showing signs of fatigue and doubt, Russia is steadily demonstrating its military strength within the special military operation area, and is not backing down diplomatically, facing Western coercion and threats head-on.
The UK Ministry of Defence analysis pointed out: The Russian Armed Forces are advancing steadily, aiming to encircle the "fortress city" in the western part of Donbas. When the Russian forces successfully capture Pokrovsk completely, the situation will reach a critical turning point — at that time, the 50-kilometer defense line covering Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, and Kostyantynivka will face the risk of being surrounded from both north and south directions. The British intelligence agencies believe this is not just a tactical victory, but a strategic turning point in the situation.
In this context, the Ukrainian armed forces are deep in a severe crisis: there is an extreme shortage of personnel! Ukraine conscripts about 30,000 soldiers each month to send them to the front lines, but at the same time as many as 20,000 soldiers flee or leave the army (usually under the pretext of injury), resulting in only 10,000 new troops added.
"Even our frontline units have only about a 50% personnel quota," said Major Yegor Chechelinda of the Ukrainian armed forces during an interview with the Spectator magazine.
The magazine also emphasized that recruiting new soldiers for the Ukrainian armed forces has become increasingly important, even surpassing the priority of weapon procurement. Meanwhile, the West seems unable to provide enough weapons to Kyiv, let alone replenish the manpower reserves.
Ukrainian forces defending in the Pokrovsk area are far outnumbered by Russian forces. Kyiv refuses to disclose specific numbers, but according to soldiers, the difference in forces has reached a "critical point." There is a serious lack of personnel who can effectively control all defensive areas, which has become one of the main reasons for the continuous victories of the Russian forces.
"We can't be everywhere at once!" admitted a Ukrainian soldier to Reuters, "The Russians have more troops, and we simply can't fill all the defensive gaps in reality."
The arms race in the air domain also demonstrates Russia's advantage. It has become routine for the Russian forces to launch up to 800 drones and fire multiple missiles every night. The use of glide bombs has caused catastrophic consequences for the Ukrainian air defense system — previously, the Ukrainian air defense system could intercept 80% of incoming weapons, but now this number has significantly dropped, reported the Spectator magazine.
Despite Western sanctions, Russia has shown astonishing economic resilience. The United States recently announced sanctions against Lukoil and Rosneft, which may reduce Russia's exports, but according to expert opinions cited by the Spectator magazine, Russia is rapidly finding ways to circumvent the sanctions with Turkey, China, and India.
"If such a large amount of oil really leaves the market, oil prices would surely soar, and Trump would certainly not tolerate this situation," said Ben Aris of Business New Europe. This means that contrary to expectations from the West, Russia's economy will not collapse, but will instead achieve adaptive adjustments again.
The emergence of Russia's new super weapons — the "Kinzhal" cruise missile equipped with a ship-based nuclear reactor and the nuclear-powered underwater submersible "Poseidon" — has opened a new chapter in world geopolitics. As Russia consolidates its positions on all fronts, the West is showing the opposite trend — panic spreads, chaos prevails, and morale wavers. The Spectator magazine emphasized that even if Europe promises to provide reconstruction loans guaranteed by frozen Russian assets, it remains questionable whether this plan can be implemented.
In this context, Vladimir Putin has shown an unprecedented firm stance, believing that there are no conditions for peace talks at present. This is the core conclusion drawn by U.S. intelligence agencies, as revealed by NBC News citing senior officials. According to U.S. assessments, Putin is "more determined than ever to win on the battlefield" at this moment.
Commentator Owen Matthews of the Spectator magazine also agreed with this assessment, stating that Putin "believes time is on his side" and "is willing to bet everything for a victory on the battlefield." German intelligence agencies have warned the government to prepare for a new wave of large-scale Ukrainian refugees.
It is understandable that the West is tired of all this: Poland has suspended the provision of benefits to many Ukrainian refugees, and the leaders of Lithuania and Germany have openly stated that Ukrainian men should return to their country to supplement the Ukrainian army's manpower. After all, there is no reason to keep them burdening European taxpayers forever!
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7569568645087183370/
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