Military expert doubts Putin's victory - but warns of cruel Kyiv attack and chemical weapons
Created: 03/11/2022 13:27
By: Linus Prien
Ukrainian soldiers in the rubble near Kyiv © IMAGO/Pavel Nemecek
An ex-Bundeswehr general says: "In my view, Putin can no longer win this war militarily." Nevertheless, he believes cruel attacks are possible.
Berlin - "In my view, Putin can no longer win this war militarily." Wolf-Dieter Langheld said in an interview with
Focus
.
Langheld is a former army general of the Bundeswehr and was most recently commander of the "Allied Joint Force Command" in the Netherlands.
Like the British government, the military expert nevertheless fears a major attack on Kyiv.
Ukraine War: The Mistakes of the Russian Army
Russia badly planned and badly prepared its invasion, Langheld judged.
The goal was to take Kyiv within a maximum of two to three days and overthrow the government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The failure of the rapid attack does not appear to have been planned.
However, the war has been going on for more than two weeks now.
The expert told the news magazine that Russia's miscalculation is now leading to supply bottlenecks in Ukraine.
There is a shortage of fuel, ammunition and food.
It is a matter of great logistical effort to supply the Russian troops at the front now.
In addition, Ukraine repeatedly attacks supply convoys.
Another mistake by Putin was to underestimate the Ukrainian resistance.
It doesn't seem to have been expected that there would be a fight like this.
The Effect of Arms Exports from the West
Ukraine claims to have disabled more than 300 Russian tanks.
However, this number cannot be seriously verified.
However, Ukraine actually seems to have destroyed many Russian tanks.
The proportion that arms deliveries from Western countries contribute to this is likely to be large, said the former Bundeswehr General Langheld.
"In my view, Putin can no longer win this war militarily."
When asked whether Putin could still win this war, the expert replied: "In my view, Putin can no longer win this war militarily." The Russian army can still claim minor successes.
However, the toll on both sides will be too high.
In addition, Langheld drew attention to the western sanctions.
These will have an effect.
In addition, Putin must keep the mood in his own country under control.
The expert said there are "many digital loopholes" through which information about the war in Ukraine gets to Russia.
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Ukraine negotiations: US warns against Russian use of weapons of mass destruction
Russia announces a change of course in war talks with Ukraine.
The US warns against the Russian use of weapons of mass destruction.
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Ukraine negotiations: US warns against Russian use of weapons of mass destruction
Will Russia Use Biological and Chemical Weapons of Mass Destruction?
It cannot currently be ruled out that Russia will use biological and chemical weapons of mass destruction.
Putin has already made himself guilty as a war criminal.
In view of the fact that the invasion of Ukraine was already illegal under international law, Putin's inhibition threshold seems to be set very low.
This cannot be ruled out, especially in the case of “progressive failures”.
The expert predicted that Putin "will not shy away from a large-scale attack on Kiev, knowing full well that he will incur extremely heavy losses."
(lp)
