"This is now the eleventh year of Moscow's attempt to subjugate eastern Ukraine. From the seizure of Crimea and the instigation of war in Donbas in 2014 through to full-scale invasion, the objective has remained constant: to deny Ukraine sovereignty and agency. The methods have changed and the rhetoric has shifted, but, the outcome has stubbornly refused to bend to the Kremlin's will."
"North Korea supplies artillery shells, missiles, and rarely acknowledged, regular troops. Iran provides drones and technical support while Belarus offers territory and infrastructure, serving as the launch platform for the full-scale invasion itself. China and India, meanwhile, arguably provide diplomatic cover and economic lifelines through energy purchases and muted criticism. Alongside this sits a rotating cast of poorly trained foreign fighters, mercenaries, in all but name, drawn from multiple continents to invade a democratic, sovereign state in Europe."
"And yet, despite all of this, Russia is still struggling. The gap between Vladimir Putin's imperial ambition and battlefield reality has become impossible to hide. Territorial gains are incremental and costly while casualties are measured in the hundreds of thousands, with estimates approaching 1.2 million. Equipment losses have forced a regression to older systems, improvised solutions, and even the reintroduction of animals for logistics."
Russia's campaign to subjugate eastern Ukraine began in 2014 with the seizure of Crimea and the instigation of war in Donbas, and expanded into a full-scale invasion in 2022. The stated initial plan for a rapid, three-day operation has transformed into an extended, costly war. Russia relies on a narrowing circle of partners—North Korea, Iran, Belarus, China, India—and foreign fighters and mercenaries for material, territory, and diplomatic cover. Territorial advances have been slow and costly. Casualties and equipment losses are enormous, estimates approaching 1.2 million, forcing reliance on older systems, improvised solutions, and even animals for logistics.
#russiaukraine-war #crimea-and-donbas-2014 #foreign-military-support #casualties-and-equipment-losses
Read at London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com
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