Top general says Ukrainian forces have captured almost as much territory in Russia in the past week as Russia has captured in Ukraine this year
www.businessinsider.com
Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said his forces had captured about 1,000 square kilometers of territory in Russia's Kursk region.
  • Ukrainian forces launched a surprise offensive into Russia’s Kursk region last Tuesday.
  • They have captured around 1,000 square kilometers of Russian land so far, Kyiv’s top general said.
  • That figure is almost as much territory as Russia has seized in Ukraine this year.
  • Echo DotEnglish
    16·
    28 days ago

    I think it’s actually irrelevant really because I don’t reasonably see a situation where Putin is going to be prepared to negotiate. He seems to see this war as his lasting legacy (there have been rumors that he might have some terminal condition, possibly cancer), he doesn’t want his legacy to be defeat, he wants it to be victory even if it requires the death of about 80% of the population.

    The only way that Russia would negotiate is if Putin is no longer in charge.

    • Mistic@lemmy.worldEnglish
      12·
      28 days ago

      Negotiations happen when one or, more likely, two sides don’t see a way to improve their positions with military force.

      The rumors you’re speaking of are a direct consequence of Russia being an autocracy. When you have a country whose ruler doesn’t leave on their own (a dictator), people start speculating on when he’s going to die. These rumors have been going around for about a decade, I believe, and are pretty much meaningless.

      Now, about “securing a legacy.” I think it’s much more trivial than that. Invading Ukraine was a good way to secure presidency for the next 1-2 terms and to eradicate opposition within the country. If that’s the case, then, in a sense, he got what he wanted, although he likely also expected the war to be short and victorious (judging by the state media narrative at the time). That didn’t happen. And now there are other issues at hand for him.