Zelensky's Fortification Fetish Won't Alter Russia's Strategy
15:43 GMT 01.12.2023 (Updated: 18:37 GMT 01.12.2023)
© AFP 2023 / BO AMSTRUP
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Ukraine’s president has announced plans to beef up fortification-building efforts across the country, conceding to his top general that the NATO-sponsored conflict with Russia has hit a “stalemate” after Kiev’s disastrous counteroffensive. But no amount of concrete will be able to alter the Russian army’s plans, a leading military observer says.
President Zelensky chaired a meeting in the Ukrainian-controlled portion of Zaporozhye on Thursday focused on the need to attract resources to build more fortifications in the region, in other frontline areas and across the country, including Ukrainian-occupied areas of Donetsk, Kherson, Kharkov, Sumy, Chernigov, Kiev, Rovno and Volyn.
“We discussed the mobilization of resources, the motivation of private business in this work, and financing. The priority is obvious,” Zelensky said in a video address.
“We also discussed the needs that we will address with our partners to reinforce our defense lines,” Zelensky added, referring to the Kiev regime’s Western patrons, the US and other NATO countries which have bankrolled Ukraine's military in their proxy conflict with Russia.
Separately on Thursday, in an interview with a major US news agency, Zelensky all but admitted that his top general Valery Zaluzhny’s characterization of the conflict as a “stalemate” was accurate. “We have a new phase of war, and that is a fact. Winter as a whole is a new phase of war,” he said.
“Look, we are not backing down, I am satisfied. We are fighting with the second (best) army in the world, I am satisfied. We are losing people, I am not satisfied. We didn’t get all the weapons we wanted, I can’t be satisfied, but I also can’t complain too much…We wanted faster results. From that perspective, unfortunately, we did not achieve the desired results. And this is a fact,” Zelensky conceded.
The fortifications focus of Zelensky’s address, together with his interview blaming the West for failing to provide Kiev with enough weapons — after receiving almost $100 billion-worth already — points to signs that Kiev will be attempting to hunker down and that it may have given up on hopes to ever regain its lost territories.
The problem with Kiev’s fortification and bunker-based strategy is that it won’t alter the Russian military’s strategy, says Russian journalist, military correspondent, and political analyst Ivan Konovalov.
Russia’s military has amassed “considerable experience in overcoming” Ukraine’s fortifications, the observer told Sputnik.
“In some areas we broke through them, in others we maneuvered around them to save troops. But it must be recognized that this is an important issue, and that Kiev is stubbornly betting on [this tactic]. They pour concrete into virtually everything they can. I witnessed what they did in Mariupol, where they poured concrete in the third floor of a multi-story building to turn it into a solid bunker. They didn’t care that there were civilians hiding somewhere in the basements, they did it from the third floor. They strengthened pillboxes or grenade launchers this way, simply pouring concrete over the entire floor,” Konovalov said.
The regime’s capabilities and readiness to fortify areas under their control should not be underestimated. But such efforts cost a great deal of effort and resources, while Kiev’s Western partners are growing weary of continuing to shell out, he said.
29 November 2023, 07:44 GMT
‘No Changes’ to Russia’s Plans
Konovalov dismissed the idea of making any changes to Russia’s plans stemming from Zelensky’s apparent fortification and bunker-based strategy.
“We have a very good idea about the kind of enemy we’re facing. We have a very good idea on how to put pressure on his defensive lines when necessary. We have a very good idea about Ukraine’s rear areas, which we have been methodically destroying as far as military infrastructure is concerned. We have a very good idea about what Ukraine’s Western allies and their worth. We see how they are now cowardly running away in all directions, how nobody wants to pay for anything anymore,” the observer said.
Konovalov also noted that any new discussions about plans from Kiev, Washington or Brussels are little more than propaganda.
“In military terms, we do not pay any attention to them, we simply take them into account. We have our tasks and we can carry them out. This is the key to victory – when you clearly see the goals and understand exactly which of them must be reached. We have this understanding, they don’t, they’ve lost it and are in complete disarray,” the observer summed up.
29 November 2023, 01:03 GMT
