- Ukraine destroyed columns of waiting Russian soldiers with HIMARS, a Ukrainian commander said.
- He said Ukraine targeted them as soon as it got permission to use allied weapons across the border.
- Military experts say Ukraine’s ability to use Western-supplied weapons in Russia is aiding its fightback.
Ukraine has both tactical and strategic plans for striking Russian oil and gas facilities. Strategically it’s important to hit these facilities as reducing output results in a long term slowdown in Russia’s ability to wage war on its neighbours. Tactically it’s a way of both boosting Ukrainian morale and also (most interestingly) forcing the US to help resupply Ukraine.
By reducing Russian production, Ukraine is pushing up oil and gas prices which affects the World and, more importantly, the US economy. Due to the US election cycle, inflation is a hot button topic in the US ATM and the Biden administration will do just about anything it can to reduce its impact on the upcoming Presidential election.
It’s entirely valid to conclude that the Ukrainian’s can bring pressure on the US to provide military aid by attaching Russian oil and gas assets.
Let me be clear: I’m on the side of the Ukrainians.
I’m not following. The first part makes sense, but wouldn’t driving gas up make Ukraine less popular and less likely to get US aid?
I support Ukraine too but throwing Ukrainian soldiers into the meat grinder is a lost cause.
What Russia does care about (and needs to keep their invasion going) is money. Which Russia mostly makes from their oil and gas.
So America not allowing Ukraine to hit Russia where it actually hurts means Putin has no reason to agree to a ceasefire. His money keeps flowing and he can keep his war economy going.