Ukraine’s high risk strategy of advancing into Russia, using NATO tanks, has allowed Putin to make gains in the Donetsk region. The Russian Army’s target is Pokrovsk, a railway town similar to Swindon, that had a tragic history in the 20th century. It was overrun several times by the White Army and Red Army during the Russian Civil War. Its people suffered horrifically during the 1930s Holodomor and Great Purge. And it was the scene of fierce fighting in World War II with thousands of residents killed in a massacre by Axis forces, before a terrible retribution by the Red Army.
The forced evacuation of Ukrainian civilians and clearance of anything useful to the enemy that is taking place this week harks back to those dark days. This is the way Russia has dealt with invading forces for centuries and it has proven to be highly successful as Napoleon found in 1812. There are less than two months before the Russian winter descends on the battlefields and makes it difficult to manoeuvre. The big question is whether a decisive blow will be struck by either side, but my guess is that the cold weather will be the only winner in 2024.
A Sketch Drawn During the French Withdrawal from Moscow in 1812
Rupert Wieloch 