Robin Horsfall
Jan 22, 2023
The deadlock in Donbas is a favourite topic of pro-Russian reporters. Not the Russian retreat from the Black Sea, nor the retreat of Russian air defences from the Sea of Azov. To many reading those reports the war might seems to be a futile grind. However, the drone strikes into St Petersburg in the past 24 hours show the Ukrainian ability to innovate, deviate and concentrate force elsewhere.
Last year Ukraine annaounced that it had completed development on a 1000 mile drone. The strike on Russia’s main oil terminal prove that those weapons have come to bear. To fly more than eight hundred miles without detection and destroy part of the main export facility for refined and crude oil is a severe blow to Russian confidence. It means all strategically important systems in western Russia can be hit, but there is more.
Somehow these drones have been able to avoid detection and no one in Russia knows how. If they don’t know how they cannot take precautions to combat them.
Russian income from gas and oil is down by 30% or by $100 billion since 2022. More attacks on Russian intrastructure especially in oil and gas will reduce this even further. No money means no bombs, fuel, wages, factories and no food. Money makes the world go round – or in Russia’s case, lack of money will send it down. Will they run out of money before they run out of conscripts? Money would be my bet.
Ukraine knows that Russia will keep feeding poorly trained men in uniform into battle to die and soak up ammunition. While Ukraine has enough ammo they can hold the ground but this fails to increase the likelihood of a victory. Putin will sacrifice his whole nation rather than admit his mistake. He cannot however; keep burning money.
The increased attacks on Russian infrastructure will create pressure where it counts, at home, in the big cities, in the bank accounts of surviving oligarchs and in the food larders of the poor. Starving and freezing people must eventially rise up or perish.
‘Where your enemy is strong retreat, where he is weak advance. Pretend you are weak where you are strong and strong where you are weak.’ Sun Tzu.
Ukraine will hold the front and strike the rear.
Slava Ukraini!
Who Dares Shares
Robin Horsfall
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Extract from a post from the previous day by Robin :
All along the eastern front, Russia is desperately launching attack after attack against the forces of Ukraine. In return for huge losses exceeding 1000 men a day they gain a few few acres of empty space or a pile of rubble that was once a village. The House of Representatives in the USA, is prevented from approving more assistance by GOP extremists. In response the UK and Europe step up manufacture more drones, arms and ammo while Ukraine pays the ultimate price.
I will continue to play my part by writing every day to remind the world that Ukraine is the focal point. All the conflicts in the northern hemisphere stem from Russia influencing Iran, influencing Hamas in Gaza and the Houthi in Yemen. All roads lead back to Putin.
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Indeed, mafia land’s ability to pay for this war is due to other shitholes not giving a rat’s ass about innocent people dying in Ukraine each and every day, buying as much of its filthy oil as possible. That’ll be india and china. Even the West has its share of fault for allowing mafia land to earn big bucks. We could’ve destroyed the fascist regime’s sources of income if we didn’t have so much greed in our rickety bones. To this day, numerous Western companies pay millions in taxes in the hellhole. Like it or not, it’s the truth.
“All roads lead back to Putin.”
My thoughts exactly Robin.
And let’s remind ourselves of what renowned putlerologist James Sherr says on this subject:
“In the movie The Exorcist, the young priest says to the older one:
“Father, I think I have identified five demons.”
The wise old priest replies :
“There is only one.”