Putin backlash?

Explosive secret service report sees Russia's most important war goals at risk

Created: 09/23/2022, 10:46 am

By: Andreas Schmid

Russian President Vladimir Putin is mobilizing more armed forces in the war with neighboring Ukraine.

But are his goals at risk?

© IMAGO/Adrien Fillon

Even after the big counter-offensive, Ukraine seems to be achieving further successes against Russia.

London sees Putin's crucial goals in jeopardy.

Moscow – partial mobilization and mock referendums.

With a kind of tactical one-two punch, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin seems to want to influence the war these days - including repeated threats of nuclear weapons ("I'm not bluffing.").

Some experts see the current strategy as an admission of Russian war problems.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) recently spoke of an "act of desperation".

The British secret service now says very specifically that Russia's war aims are in jeopardy.

Ukraine war: British secret service sees crucial Russian targets at risk

According to a current situation report by the London Defense Ministry, the Ukrainian army is putting pressure on the Russian occupiers in areas that Moscow regards as crucial to its war goals.

The defense line to which the Russians retreated after recent territorial losses in the north-east of the country is already crumbling.

The British see the fact that the Ukrainians have already established bridgeheads on the eastern bank of the Oskil River in Kharkiv Oblast as an indication of this.

The Russians actually wanted to integrate the river into a fortified line of defense.

A little further south, in Donetsk Oblast, according to the British, fighting continued during Ukrainian attacks on the town of Lyman on the east bank of the Seversky Donets River.

Russia's invading troops captured the city in May.

Ukraine war: According to London, Russia has problems implementing partial mobilization

In addition, Britain doubts Russia's ability to partially mobilize hundreds of thousands of reservists.

"Russia will probably have to contend with logistical and administrative challenges even just to muster the 300,000 soldiers," said London on Thursday.

The Russian military leadership will probably try to set up new units with the levied troops.

But these are "probably not able to fight for months".

The British secret service took the partial mobilization as a sign of Russian weakness.

"The move is effectively an admission that Russia has exhausted its supply of willing volunteers to fight in Ukraine.