Over the past few days many premature conclusions were drawn once again about the situation in Ukraine, based off vague reports that Russia has withdrawn some vehicles from the Kiev area...
Just watch how in the upcoming weeks, Russia is going to keep advancing and above all, how the most solid of Ukrainian defensive lines, where most of Kiev's forces are concentrated and had been entrenched for years in anticipation of a Russian offensive, is going to be breached in the Donbas. Once Slavyansk is encircled and then taken, nothing much is going to be left of the Ukrainian armed forces and extremist paramilitary. Unless, of course, Kiev capitulates to Moscow's main conditions for a ceasefire, conditions which reflect the Russian war objectives, and so this too would mark a victory for Russia. This is a win-win for the bear, and what we're witnessing is the systematic destruction of the Ukrainian military, whose firepower and technological levels are massively outmatched by their Russian adversary.
By moving forces to the outskirts of Kiev and exerting pressure on the Ukrainian capital, what Russia successfully achieved was to ensure that tens of thousands of Ukrainian crack troops will be bogged down right there, instead of being dispatched to reinforce the crucial Donbas front, whose collapse under the Russian sledgehammer is only a matter of time. Astute strategy, impressively implemented by Moscow. There was no Russian failure nor setback at Kiev, while Russian war objectives are focusing primarily on the Donbas, geographically speaking, as well as on changing the behavior of Ukraine's ruling establishment, both of which are well served by how Russia has been proceeding.
We've truly entered the era of multipolarism. And that is guaranteed to benefit Iran and strengthen her position geopolitically. With regards to the Russia-Ukraine war, Tehran doesn't need to embark on any grandstand diplomatic theatrics, which would do nothing other than impressing those with a shallow reading of developments. In fact, discretely looking on as events unfold, keeping a low profile while letting standard diplomatic channels do their everyday work will perfectly play to Iran's advantage already.
By the way, say bye bye to Beyraqdār. The thirty-sixth and last TB-2 UCAV in service with Ukraine was shot down by Russian forces:
Al-Jazeera has inadvertently aired footage of the Ukrainian army misusing an ambulance for troop transport. Yet another example of how they're exploiting civilian buildings and civilian vehicles as shields, which certainly hasn't been helpful in further reducing Ukrainian non-combatant losses:
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