Ukrainian resistance in occupied territories grows - military expert fears "escalation spiral"

Created: 05/25/2022, 05:49 am

By: Bedrettin Bölükbasi

In the Ukraine war, Russia was able to occupy large areas and cities in southern Ukraine.

The residents, however, are resolutely resisting.

Munich - Exactly three months ago, Russian ruler Vladimir Putin gave the order for the invasion of Ukraine.

Russian troops are currently trying to advance in the east of the country, where Moscow recognized the pro-Russian so-called "Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics".

This map shows where the Ukraine war is raging.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military put up fierce resistance.

But the resistance is not limited to the front line in the east.

At the beginning of the Ukraine conflict, the Russian military achieved rapid successes, especially in the south and south-west of the neighboring country directly to the north of the Crimean peninsula, which has been illegally annexed since 2014.

Partisan attacks and resistance to the occupiers are now increasing in these occupied areas.

Experts fear a spiral of escalation.

Ukraine-Russia-News: Ukrainians resist in occupied territories - attacks on Putin officials and soldiers

Shortly after the invasion began, large parts of Ukraine's southern coast fell into the hands of the Russian military.

The residents of cities like Cherson or Melitopol, for example, initially held demonstrations against Russian control.

However, Russian forces used all their might against the masses.

"The people of Kherson decided to put up a quiet resistance," Inna Zelena, a local Ukrainian official, told the

.

So you put yellow and blue ribbons in different places or handed out leaflets against Russian occupiers.

However, this “silent resistance” is now becoming louder and louder.

An increase in partisan attacks against Russian-employed officials and Russian troops is reported in the occupied regions.

The last major example: An attack on the Moscow-appointed mayor of the city of Enerhodar, Andrei Shevchik.

According to a report by the Russian state agency

TASS, an improvised explosive device was planted at the entrance to Shevchik's apartment building

The mayor and his two bodyguards were injured in the explosion, another Russian state agency

said.

Last week, Ukrainian authorities also reported an attack on a Russian armored train in the occupied city of Melitopol.

The train was carrying Russian troops and was attacked with explosives, damaging the rails, Ukraine's Interior Ministry adviser Anton Gerashenko wrote on Twitter.

There are also losses among the Russian troops.

The attack was carried out by "partisans", among others, emphasized the Ukrainian mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Federov.

The Zaporizhia military administration also claimed on Telegram an attack on Russian soldiers in Melitopol.

"High-ranking Russian officers were killed."

Russian soldiers in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

(Archive image) © dpa

Ukraine-Russia-News: Ex-Nato general sees "power of the little man" - strategist expects insurgency

The Ukrainian data on this partisan war cannot be independently verified.

However, experts assume that Ukraine is actually effectively resisting.

The US think tank "Institute for the Study of War" sees signs of "continued and organized Ukrainian resistance in occupied territories".

In view of this, the ex-NATO general Hans-Lothar Domröse spoke to the

of the "power of the little man over a world power".

Residents would put small pinpricks and damage Russian morale.

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This undoubtedly leads to the question of whether Russian troops will actually be able to hold the occupied territories for a longer period of time under constant pinpricks and thus a constantly threatening situation.

Military strategist Markus Reisner from the Austrian Armed Forces expects "extensive uprising movements" at this point.

He thinks this scenario is possible, especially if Russia cannot meet the basic needs of the population.

"If Russia cannot ensure supplies or if systematic attacks and terror increase, this provides the breeding ground for further and widespread uprisings," Reisner told

.

Ukraine-Russia-News: Military strategist warns of "escalation spiral" in occupied territories

The military strategist also warned of an "escalation spiral".

Reisner explained that as a result of a rapid increase in the resistance movement, Russian troops would try to dissolve the resistance cells.

The deaths during the raids would eventually fuel hatred against the Russian occupiers and lead to an even faster influx.

Reisner sees Russia's main problem soon in a "hard occupation".

According to him, this will prove to be difficult: "But Russia is not capable of such an occupation regime in the long term, because every convoy, every checkpoint, every base in the occupied territories becomes a target."

The Ukrainian military is already planning a major offensive in the south of the country to bring the occupied areas back under Ukraine's control.

"There will be no People's Republic of Kherson," said Mykhailo Podoliak, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, after a Putin representative revealed plans to annex Kherson.

, Cherson will be "liberated with all severity" as soon as possible and as many Russian soldiers as possible will be eliminated for this purpose

.