Did Putin get it wrong? War in Ukraine is not going as Russian president had hoped after all | War Ukraine and Russia

Both the British and the Americans believe that Putin has misbehaved. The British Ministry of Defense announced via Twitter that the Russian advance in Ukraine is stagnating, partly due to the fierce resistance of the Ukrainians. “The pace of progress has slowed temporarily, probably as a result of acute logistical difficulties and strong Ukrainian resistance,” it said.

The Pentagon came out with similar coverage. Similarly, the US believes that the Russians are increasingly frustrated by the strong Ukrainian resistance. “We know they have not made the progress they would have liked, especially in the north. They have encountered determined resistance.” The Russian armed forces have not yet taken a single Ukrainian city and still have no control over the airspace. In addition, Russia is said to have already deployed more than half of its troops. The Russian Defense Ministry previously announced that they will expand their offensive. Whether that will lead to progress, however, remains to be seen.

The first problem for Putin is that he will soon run out of money. For example, the current war would cost the Russians billions every day, according to Ukrainian intelligence sources.

Riho Terras, Estonia’s former defense minister, claims that if the Ukrainians can hold out for another ten days, Putin will have to negotiate with Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky. By then, according to Terras, the Russian account will be in the red. Moreover, the sanctions that the EU, the UK and the US have taken against Russia, among others, will further complicate the financial situation.

Since February 24, Russia is said to have lost 14 military aircraft, 8 helicopters, 102 army tanks, 15 machine guns and some 536 missiles, according to the newspaper ‘The Kyiv Independent’. In addition, the newspaper estimates that a total of 3,500 Russian soldiers are already out of action. In other words, Ukraine strongly opposes the Russians. And that too is something Putin did not expect.

The Ukrainian soldiers are not intimidated by the Russians, but sometimes seem to mock them. For example, the Ukrainian military asks civilians to remove nameplates from streets, towns and villages in order to “confuse and disorient” the enemy. The Ukrainian defense ministry also said via Twitter that it will do everything possible to quickly liberate Ukraine from the Russian occupier.

Also with regard to the arms stock, the Russians will not last long. According to Terras, the Russian troops would have missiles at their disposal for at most “three to four days”. The former defense minister adds that afterwards they will only have to stick to guns. “New Russian weapons can only be made in three to four months, and even then the Russians have no raw materials. What they previously imported from Slovenia, Finland and Germany is now closed,” it sounds.

According to our war journalist Robin Ramaekers, the food supply of the Russian troops would also decrease. In addition, there would be very little diesel for all military vehicles. “Actually, Putin thought the job would be done by now,” Ramaekers said. He also confirms that Russia will face increasingly difficult times if Ukraine holds out.

If Putin’s “great military operation” fails, the Russian president will no doubt pay a heavy price. And according to Ramaekers, that could lead to an escalation of violence again.

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