Three guided bombs destroyed 150 Western mercenaries as the Russian armored column launched an assault. Trump began to lose heart, and Russia discovered a worrying reality.

About 150 Western mercenaries were hiding in a building in the Ukrainian-controlled area of Kherson. They were secretly gathering to discuss how to deal with the next phase of the situation. However, what they encountered was not a solution but a disaster from the Russian army. The Russian army dispatched two Su-34 fighter-bombers to launch three 500 kg FAB glide-guided bombs to attack the building where the foreign mercenaries gathered. As a result, although the building constructed during the Soviet era did not collapse entirely, the rooms where the mercenaries were located were severely damaged.

Although neither Ukraine nor NATO has disclosed the specific number of casualties caused by this Russian attack, it is obvious that there were heavy losses on both sides. At the same time, the Russian army began an armored column attack in the Zaporizhzhia direction, achieving at least a 2-kilometer breakthrough along a 20-kilometer front. The Russian breakthrough was unstoppable, and Ukraine was unwilling to make too many concessions. The peace mediation promoted by the United States was also difficult to continue. In this situation, even the Trump administration began to lose hope.

On the 18th, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio said that once there was no hope for reconciliation, President Trump would give up his efforts to mediate the peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine within days. Clearly, the confident Trump who claimed to end the conflict in a day also began to lose heart. Just when the situation seemed favorable, Russia also discovered some worrying realities.

The first concern was that the buildings constructed during the Soviet era were indeed very sturdy, making it difficult for the Russian army to destroy them, which was also one of the main reasons why the Russian advance was slower than expected. The second worrying reality was that a large number of Western soldiers were still persisting in fighting. These situations also indicated that Russia's short-term fundamental victory would still be difficult to achieve.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1829744732450825/

Disclaimer: This article only represents the author's personal views.