Telling It Like It Is : What Annexation?

"We need additional long-range artillery and ammunition, combat aircraft and armed vehicles to continue the liberation of the occupied territories."

"We need anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense systems to secure our civilians and critical infrastructure from the terrorist attacks of the Russian forces."

Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Yevhen Perebyinis

 

"It is not clear to me why they [Russian generals] didn’t correctly assess the situation at that time, didn’t strengthen the group of troops."

"This is probably a significant milestone not only military, but also political, especially now."

"The problem is the general lies, the report of a good situation. This system goes from top to bottom."

Russian State Duma deputy,former commander of the 58th Army, Lieutenant General Andrei Gurulev

 

"[Russian troops] were not provided with the necessary communication, interaction and the supply of ammunition."

"[Central Military District Alexander Lapin is responsible, by moving his headquarters to Starobelsk], a hundred kilometers away from his subordinates, [he] was holed up in Luhansk."

"It’s not a shame that Lapin is mediocre, but the fact that he is covered at the top by the leaders in the General Staff."

"There is no place for nepotism in the army, especially in difficult times."

Chechnyan leader, Ramzan Kadyrov

Things are not going well for Vladimir Putin, not when his closest allies are livid with the losses sustained by the Russian leader they have thrown their support behind. From allies like Kadyrov, to the circle of elites in Moscow that have supported Putin's invasion of Ukraine and are now, eyebrows-raised critical of the Russian leader's strategic failures and his generals' losses on the battlefield in Ukraine with the conflict listing heavily in Ukraine's counteroffensive favour, all the lies and bravado in the world won't help his flaccid condition in the conflict.

 

Then there is the humiliation of Ukrainian special forces with their insider information and West-supplied weaponry staging surprise hits on the elite generals of the Russian military, on Sevastopol, sending missiles into the Russian fleet, blowing up bridges and now the sole bridge linking the Russian mainland with Crimea, there is no opportunity for face-saving. The invasion has gone from surprise advance to failed fiasco.

 

When Russia's upper house of parliament rubber-stamped the annexations of four Ukrainian provinces to Russia following the forced 'referendums', the grand announcement that they were now Russian territory, and that any attack on any of the annexed provinces by territorial-grasping Ukraine or any others would be construed as an act of war. Darkly, the statement was enhanced by just how serious a misdemeanor any such attack by 'enemies' on the purloined territories would be viewed, all options were on the table, including nuclear strikes.

 

And, if Ukraine would like to sue for peace, before Russia might consider annexing even more of its territory, they must agree to accept their loss of 18 percent of their territory in the south and northeast, now in Russian hands. Only then might the mighty Russian army withdraw from what would be left of Ukraine. "We will wait for the incumbent president to change his position or wait for a future Ukrainian president who would revise his stand in the interests of the Ukrainian people", stated Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Ukraine had other ideas for the future of its nation, inconveniently carrying on with its counteroffensive succeeding once again in pushing back the Russian military; the Ukrainian slow and steady advance convincing the Russians to pack up and run. Oh, right, just run, forget the packing up. Not only have the retreating Russians in their haste left behind their military equipment as a kind gesture to the pursuing Ukrainian troops, they have also left behind the bodies of their dead comrades in the now de-occupied city of Lyman.

Held by Russia for its strategic geographic positioning, and used as a logistics and transport hub, it was abandoned by fleeing Russians as the Ukrainian troops began encircling the city and its occupiers. Leaving the Ukrainian military a clear corridor to carry on with its offensive probing more deeply into Russian-held territories. Ukrainian residents of Lyman who had remained in the occupied city began to emerge with their liberation, only to discover that the bodies of Russian soldiers remained on the streets.

Without water, electricity or gas since May, liberation for the city's residents meant a release from concentration-camp-circumstances. Military gains aside, Ukraine's deputy foreign minister called once again for the deployment of more weapons to Ukraine in the wake of the partial mobilization announcement last month by President Putin. On the way from the U.S. are additional High Mobility Artillery Rocket System launchers. They've been well utilized.

"In my personal opinion we need to take more drastic measures, including declaring martial law in the border territories and using low-yield nuclear weapons."

"There is no need to make every decision with the Western American community in mind."

Chechnyan leader, Ramzan Kadyrov

Ukrainian troops were looking to push deeper into Russian-occupied territory after they recaptured Lyman    AP