Apparently they withdrew from Izyum behind the Oskol river during the night. Unconfirmed reports are UAF crosses the Siversky Donets river largerly uncontested and are either fighting in or have already pushed the Russians out of Lyman.
All of this in the span of a few days without much resistance in crucial areas that took the allies months to take. No idea what to even say to this tbh.
So does losing a whole oblast within a couple of days and without much fighting. If they can’t beat them with their volunteer army and they can’t mobilize, they can’t win this conflict.
Those who scream the loudest about mobilization ought to be drafted first. That should cool off the heads.
I’m proud of Russia for its victories and for standing up for itself and the Ukrainian people in the East. I can’t say that Russia should have done nothing even if something has to be paid in blood.
If they’re current “special military operation” accomplishes what should be done at the most minimal price to its own people then I don’t see why a war should be declared because Americans are impatient to see immediate results.
That’s what I’m seeing here. The Russians are winning overall. They lost a little ground in order to minimize their own loses and overextend their greedy adversaries. Instead of waiting to see how the events payout some people are declaring for an escalation from the Russian side. If it was wise to do so they would have done it.
Abandoning their initial position would be a sign of weakness and uncertainty. Yet that’s what people would call for. From my perspective Russian victory relies on the West exhausting itself at the walls of Russia. Ukraine offers the greatest advantage for Russia in a war of attrician. The point of a war is not to overextend yourself or exert yourself. Let the adversary exhaust themselves. Let the adversary rush in while you retreat.
What do you think should rather happen?
Right now? Not sure anything can be done. More missile strikes at targets in Kiev or Lviv may not be enough. Sending hordes of conscripts won’t work. The longer this “operation” goes on, the less popular it is bound to become, and voices of liberal “opposition” will become louder.
So no, I don’t know what should rather happen. We seem to be screwed pretty much regardless.