We enter the countdown towards the date (January 20) of the replacement in the White House. An opportunity that many evaluate as magical for the resolution of the conflict in Ukraine. However, hostilities do not decrease in the Ukrainian theater but, against the background of a subtle and little-known cyber war, the exchange of reciprocal air attacks with gliding bombs, missiles and drones intensifies. The preferred objectives of the Russian Command, apart of the enemy anti-aircraft systems, are the energy installations and the corresponding distribution networks throughout Ukraine, seeking to paralyze industries and undermine the spirit of resistance of the population. On the other hand, the objectives most pursued by the Ukrainian Command are the Russian logistical facilities, trying to hinder the logistical flow that supports its combat units. To do this, they are using, when they can, long-range missiles (American ATACMS and Franco-British Storm Shadow). Such was the bombing, last Wednesday, against manufacturing facilities in the Rostov oblast. An action that, two days later, was responded to by the launch of a swarm of kamikaze drones and Russian ballistic missiles against various military targets in kyiv. Whether due to the projectiles themselves or the remains of those that were shot down by the Ukrainian anti-aircraft defenses, such a reaction caused collateral damage to some of the embassies, including those of Albania, Argentina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Palestine and Portugal. Mishaps that triggered two immediate effects. On the one hand, the protests of those countries against Moscow, which had inevitable and wide international media coverage. And, on the other, and taking into account that kyiv is possibly the best defended place in Ukraine, the certification that Moscow, with its missiles, can attack, whenever and wherever it wants, targets throughout the theater of operations. Related News standard If Meloni seeks an agreement with northern European countries to increase defense spending Ángel Gómez Fuentes | Correspondent in Rome The president met with Kaja Kallas and the heads of government of Finland, Sweden and Greece in Lapland. The terrain is hardened by the winter ice that favors mobility, the pace of ground combat in which Russian troops maintain the initiative. Especially in the hottest areas: Prokovsk-Kurakhovo, Velyka Novosilka and Kursk Oblast. In the latter, Russian troops are trying to accelerate the neutralization or expulsion of the Ukrainian troops from the portion of land that they still dominate, and which could be estimated at around 550 km2. Which means that Ukrainian troops have already lost about 55% of the land they occupied after the invasion of the Kursk Oblast on August 6. The Russian counteroffensive is being developed through two converging efforts. One, from west to east, following the direction Lyubimovka-Klugren’koe-Malaya Loknya. The other, from northeast to southwest, in the direction Kireevka-Naydenov-Malaya Loknya. This last town, just 15 km north-northwest of Sudzha, is an important communications hub that includes a railway station, thus becoming a desirable tactical objective to be reached by Russian troops. If they managed to take it soon, the possibility would open up of continuing the progression towards the south, along the highway that, coming from Lgov, leads directly to Sudzha. City and essential communications hub that was the last Russian operational point for sending gas to the west (Hungary and Slovakia). Related News Standard analysis Yes Are we approaching the end of hostilities in Ukraine? Pedro Pitarch Both NATO and the EU will find it very difficult to escape the general perception that an unappealable defeat of kyiv would be a brutal failure for both organizations. In this hypothesis, Sudzha appears as the operational objective of the Russian campaign to clean up the oblast. of Kursk, since the potential occupation of that city would force Ukrainian troops to retreat into their own national territory. And with this, in addition, Putin would deal Zelensky a colossal blow. Not only because it dramatically reduced its expectations of prolonging the war, but also because it would mean the loss of a valuable bargaining chip when negotiating an eventual end to hostilities. Presumably, from now on, kyiv will try to redouble its efforts in order to hinder and delay the progression of Moscow’s troops towards Malaya Loknya and Sudzha. A purpose that would explain the reason for the Ukrainian bombing, last Friday, against Rylsk, the Russian population, linked to the capital, Kursk, by the E-38 highway, which would house the advanced logistics center from where the Russian troops who, since the west, progress towards Malaya Loknya. In short, the battle for Malaya Loknya and Sudzha seems close.
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