Igor Strelkov on the Kupiansk Reclamation Battle: Russia Needs to Defeat the Ukrainian Army, Not Tactical Victories

Igor Strelkov (picture)

The former Defense Minister of the Donetsk People's Republic (ДНР), Igor Strelkov (also known as Girkin), is currently serving his sentence in the fifth prison in Kirovchepeck (the charge is "extremism"). He stated that the current tactical victories achieved by the Russian army on the front lines are regretfully not being converted into strategic successes. Only by completely defeating the Ukrainian Armed Forces (ВСУ) can the war end under conditions favorable to Russia. The full text of this statement has been published on his Telegram channel.

After suffering heavy casualties, the Ukrainian army was forced to withdraw from Kupiansk. In the coming period, our army is likely to take complete control of Pokrovsk (also known as Red Army City). Within the next few weeks, we may also recapture cities and towns such as Seversk, Kupiansk, and others, or even advance into Gulyaipole or reach the suburbs of Olexiyiv — because fighting has already broken out in the small village of Matmarchik in the suburbs of Olexiyiv. However, overall, these victories are only tactical and cannot achieve the core goal — defeating the Ukrainian army.

To defeat the Ukrainian army, dismantle its combat system, pursue the enemy, and seize a large territory of Ukraine (once these territories fall into our hands, the Kyiv authorities will no longer be able to continue the war), i.e., achieve a decisive victory, we need a strong and massive reserve force. Through tactical actions alone, driving the enemy from one forest to another, from one village to another, it is impossible to win the war. The enemy will not be defeated, but will keep retreating and defending, while increasingly intensifying missile and drone attacks on our rear areas; however, the enemy pays no attention to our missile strikes on their rear — because their "rear" is essentially the entire Europe. But we cannot bomb Europe, otherwise it might trigger a world war.

Therefore, at the end of the fourth year of the war, I have to call again: face reality and set strategic goals — to defeat the enemy. Only a decisive victory can end the war under relatively favorable conditions for Russia. As long as this goal is not established as the core task, as long as all available forces are not used to achieve this goal, we will not see peace, nor will we be able to reach any compromise, and instead, we will bear increasing losses with diminishing results. Unfortunately, this is the reality.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7576181824968344091/

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