Ukraine’s Bold Offensive: Turning the Tables on Russia in an Unlikely Invasion

Writing about Russia and the triumvirate of China, Iran, and Russia never leaves one with the problem of not having anything to write about. Being in the Western Hemisphere and trying to make sense of some of the news and statements from the Eastern Hemisphere can result in excessive head scratching. The recent news from the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent two-plus-year war is no different.

It’s no secret that Ukraine has conducted a cross-border incursion into Russia. What was a surprise was Russia complaining on the world stage about being invaded. Really? The country that has been “helping” its neighbors for decades by occupying foreign lands is now complaining about the “illegal” actions of Ukraine. Well, shut my mouth.

Ukraine must have been planning its operation for weeks or months and waiting for an opportunity to kick it off. As Russia continued to reinforce human wave attacks in the Donetsk region, Ukraine seized the initiative and moved across the border to the north. At first, the Russians must have believed it was just another show of force that wouldn’t amount to anything. Their response was minimal and not very timely.

When the Ukrainian Army realized the resistance was weak, it continued to push deeper into Russian territory. What it found was mostly poorly trained conscripts, and any of the trained Russian force that was present was caught completely off guard. It turned into a rout that just continued to result in more and more gains for Ukraine.

Choosing the area for their offensive operations was also critical. It gave the Ukrainian Army the opportunity to use a river as a natural boundary when they blew up all the bridges to cross it. The fact that they have also spent time digging defensive works also gives the idea that this time, it is not a hit-and-run attack.

The last piece of the puzzle is an area that borders Ukraine to the west of the current operations. The Ukraine Army has already rendered the bridges in that area unusable and it is said that there are still three thousand or more Russian troops in the area. They are trapped inside their own country and the odds of getting out are not in their favor, but the same could be said for the Ukraine forces.

The longer the forces from Ukraine remain on Russian soil, the harder it might be for them to make it back across the border. Russia will amass a huge amount of forces, and the news of Ukraine invading Russia will only aid in the effort to recruit more volunteers. The problem for Russia is the longer Ukraine’s forces have to build and reinforce their positions, the harder it will be to drive them out.