For four years, Ukraine's leaders have realized something that the corrupt Russian oligarchs in the Kremlin never could: you win a war by destroying the enemy's military, not by trying to scare its people.
The Russians had learned to cow their populace with secret police and bribes. That translated into their believing every country's citizens were like theirs. But they have learned the hard way just how wrong they were. Instead of randomly bombing civilian targets with no strategic value as the Russians have, the Ukrainians have developed a strategy which is now working very effectively. They have identified the keys to Russian military and economic capability and are targeting them, relentlessly. Whether it is oil refining, defense production, air defense or troop concentration and logistics, the Ukrainians are wearing down the Kremlin's ability to fight a war. And, oh by the way, after a tough winter, frequently without heat and light, the Ukrainians remain defiant, as their troops advance while inflicting increasingly catastrophic casualties on the Russians. JL
Vijainder Thankur reports in The EurAsian Times:
Having survived a Russian winter offensive that nearly crippled its power generation, Ukraine is now seizing the initiative. Russian strikes against Ukraine are becoming smaller and less effective. The losses sustained by Russian drones and missiles suggest Ukrainian air defenses remain potent. Ukraine has taken advantage of Russia through bold, relentless escalations. It has taken the initiative throughout the war, escalating the conflict, often spectacularly, by crossing Russian red lines, striking Russia’s strategic assets. Ukraine is now launching more attack drones against Russia than vice versa. Russia's strategy to win the war focused on denuding the will of the Ukrainian people to continue fighting, rather than on crippling the ability of Ukraine's military. Russian forces face an adversary which has continuously innovated and taken risks, fighting a war with just one rule—it cannot lose.
