Ukrainian forces staged an overnight ambush on a Russian convoy 25 miles inside the international border in Russia’s Kursk province, as the Kremlin declared a federal emergency and said it was transferring extra forces to try to snuff out a four-day incursion that has badly damaged its credibility.
A video circulated by Russian military bloggers showed a destroyed convoy, with bodies just visible inside some trucks, on the E38 east-west highway at Oktyabrskoe, a location far deeper inside Russia than any previously confirmed fighting since Ukraine’s forces crossed the border on Tuesday.
Commentators said the attack, reminiscent of Ukrainian attacks on Russian troops besieging Kyiv in the first weeks of the war, demonstrated an effective hit-and-run strategy, but the incursion appeared likely to draw an escalating response from the Kremlin, and its overall outcome remains profoundly uncertain.
Risky move. How russians will retaliate?
That’s the point, how will they indeed?
This forces Russia into a real dilemma. They can’t just obliterate the Ukrainians with artillery, since doing so would destroy their own oil distribution hub and cut off their own income. They also can’t not do it, since this is a major fiasco, and it becomes worse as time goes by.
So indeed, how will the Russians retaliate? All the risk is on their side now.
Meanwhile Ukraine can use heavy artillery to defend things like the gas exchange making it a uneven match up.
Defensive bonus + artillery advantage
Complain at the UN about how this is totally unfair and they’re not allowed to do that?
That is not a joking suggestion; I predict that sometime next week, that exact thing will happen.
I thought they more or less already did that? Although perhaps not at the UN.
They’ve already been making out that it’s an unacceptable act of aggression by Ukraine.
Next up:
Hmm, seems like it didn’t after all. They are too busy scrambling their defenses and trying to tell their own people that everything is normal.
They did. Everyone just ignored it.
!remindme 1 week
you tagged a community, remindme bot doesn’t seem to exist, and even if it did federation would brick it half of the time
answer is already there, don’t even try beeping at me
Yes hello
Good bot!
Your faith in the fleshed out ness of the Lemmy bot ecosystem is an inspiration to us all
There’s no way that works.
!remindme 1 week
At least the cake day bot seems to be working.
Happy cake day and many pleasant returns!
I try.
I heard Russia may move to invade Ukraine in response to this risky move.
I also heard that it would just take them 3-4 days to secure Kiev…
Oh that’s right. Cause it’s “military exercises” that are happening right now yes?
By counter attacking? Which I’m sure the Ukrainians are ready for? This is already a war.
They don’t have any non nuclear retaliation options they’re not already using, and nuclear is a profoundly bad idea.
Although, they could technically use the on their own territory now. It would still likely be an international response, and devastate their own country.
But Putin has bombed apartments for his own gain, I could see him nuke his own land for it too.
You mean retaliate more than bombing schools and hospitals like they’ve been doing for the last two years? Kidnapping children and slaughtering civilians?
They’ll probably nuke themselves.
At least blow up the pipeline while “liberating” it.
Same way they always retaliate against superior force. Terror bombing.