Russia Stumbles Through Ukraine
Ukraine's military, which is dwarfed by the Russians in every way, has somehow managed to successfully defend their homeland for weeks against the massive Russian attack.
According to conservative estimates reported on by DNYUZ, "Ukrainian soldiers have killed more than 3,000 Russian troops." (However, due to the significant amount of propaganda coming out of both sides, there is reason to be skeptical of even this estimate.)
But even with all the propaganda, we can be sure of one thing: The Russian invasion, for better or worse, has not gone as planned. A military superpower understood to be second only to the American armed forces has been set back weeks by the tiny rebel forces in Ukraine. This doesn't exactly shine a positive light on Russian strength.
The Man Behind the Setback?
According to The Wall Street Journal, Russia's attack on Ukraine is a total failure. They went on to clarify that, "Experts on the Russian military place some of the blame on Mr. Shoigu’s willingness to back Mr. Putin’s plans, even if they are unrealistic."
“Beyond Putin, this is very damning for one person in particular, and that is Sergei Shoigu,” said Michael Kofman, director of Russia studies at CNA, a nonprofit research and analysis organization located in Arlington, Va. “By agreeing to these assumptions and this type of operation, he has essentially thrown the Russian military into a disaster.”
In Ditch Effort to Deter the West, Russia Threatens $300 Oil
“It is absolutely clear that a rejection of Russian oil would lead to catastrophic consequences for the global market,” Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Monday in an address on state television.
According to CNBC, Russia has been threatening to close major gas pipelines to Germany and warned of $300 oil prices if the West goes ahead with a ban on its energy exports.
These threats seem credible, being that Oil in the U.S. has already topped $130 a barrel. The crisis in Ukraine, rapid inflation, and the closing of the Keystone XL Pipeline have combined to drive gas prices in the U.S. to all-time highs.
Russia Has Agreed to a Cease-Fire to Evacuate Citizens
According to the Wall Street Journal, "Ukraine agreed with Russia on a temporary cease-fire to evacuate civilians from the besieged northeastern city of Sumy."
This comes after massive attention was drawn to Russia's "war crimes" that were reportedly committed as they attacked cities and strategic areas regardless of civilian presence.
The WSJ reported that "hours after heavy Russian bombardments killed at least nine residents there, as heavy fighting continued elsewhere across Ukraine."
Contributor(s)
Al K. Scott, Winrich Kniprode
How does the Keystone Pipeline affect gas prices here when it was intended mostly for oil exports?
Russia can take losses; Ukraine cannot. Remember that the Russian strategy of warfare does not see taking massive losses as a setback; undoubtedly, Ukrainian resistance is more than expected, but ultimately will not last against Russia's relatively inexhaustible resources, without more support.