Freeing Crimea and the Donbas from Putin's grasp is a laudable goal, but it isn't going to happen, writes Sir Max Hastings via @opinion
▶️ VOA’s Heather Murdock reports from the frontlines of Ukraine’s Donbas region, where an anticipated counteroffensive is ready to start with the arrival of spring.
Moscow’s inability to gain much ground in the Donbas shows how its military has struggled to efficiently capture urban areas throughout the war. Here are the towns and cities it wanted to capture, and what they have actually captured.
Russia has only managed to inch forward, encountering well-prepared Ukrainian positions with defensive lines heavily fortified from nearly a decade of fighting Russian-backed separatists in the Donbas region.
New episode of Ukraine: The Latest
@djknowles22 is joined by @FrancisDearnley , @jkjourno , @HamishDBG and @SheridanDani who was reporting live in the Donbas, as they discuss the latest updates in Ukraine.
🎧 Listen 👇
▶️ VOA's Heather Murdock reporting from the city of Lyman, in Eastern Ukraine. This city is a very important railway hub, and it is called the Gates of Donbas. Russians took it last spring, but Ukrainians retook it in the fall.
A former coal miner and furniture salesman, Vladlen Tatarsky was convicted of bank robbery in Ukraine in 2014 but fled prison shortly after Kremlin-backed separatists siezed control of large swathes of the Donbas region
Loading
Zelensky addressing the Russian people in Russian now: “Today I initiated a phone call with the president of the Russian Federation. The result was silence, though the silence should be in the Donbas. As a result I want to address all citizens of Russia…
As the world watches, we see the donbas'>Ukrainian Donbas standing. We are connected and we stand with you against Russian tyranny, President Zelensky. Alliances matter. Slava Ukraini. @ZelenskyyUa
Zelensky: The fight in the Donbas “will surely go down in military history as one of the most brutal battles in Europe and for Europe.” He said about Russian forces: “We are dealing with absolute evil.” The Ukrainian president also repeated pleas for Western military assistance.
The maps of Ukraine being shown on televison need to change parts of Donbas regions from "Russia-backed separatists controlled" to "Russia-occupied." There are no independent, Ukrainian separatist movements in these regions. It's simply Russian occupation.
The Ukrainians shot down MH17, the Syrian opposition gassed themselves, the White Helmets are al-Qaeda, Navalny collapsed because of medication he was taking, the GRU agents were in Salisbury to see the cathedrals, there are no Russian troops in Crimea or Donbas…
Loading