The Russian-Ukrainian war has been going on for four months, and the so-called "second phase special military operation" on Russia has also been going on for nearly two months. However, according to the latest battlefield situation report provided by the British Ministry of Defense, the Russian army is still struggling in the eastern and southern Ukraine, and the resistance of the Ukrainian army is still very effective. The Russian army has to go through repeated battles every step forward, and both sides have great casualties. However, it is obvious that the Ukrainian army suffered greater losses.
Ukrainian President adviser Mikhailo Podoliak told the British BBC TV that Ukraine loses 100 to 200 soldiers every day because Russia "tows almost all non- nuclear weapons to the front line." Ukraine is also trying to send troops to the front line, especially the most fierce competition for the Donbas area, and at the same time sends the Western-aided heavy weapon to the front line, including the US-made M777 towed howitzer and the French "Caesar" vehicle-mounted howitzer.
The American "War Zone" website reported that recently, even Ukrainian photographed that the S-300V long-range air defense missile system, which is rare in the Ukrainian military, was driving on the road to Donbas.
[Ukrainian military's S-300V long-range air defense missile system is driving on the way to Donbas]
This shows that although most of the troops deployed by Ukraine in the eastern region have been eliminated or surrounded by the Russian army, Ukraine does not intend to give up the Donbas region. The US "Military Age" website even published an article saying that the battle in the Donbass region is the decisive battle of the Ukrainian conflict , and neither side of the war had a way out. So, why is the Donbass region so important?
[Ukrainian battlefield situation map released by the British Ministry of Defense]
Donbas region is located on the west side of the downstream of the Don River in eastern Ukraine, with an area of about 60,000 square kilometers, mainly including Donetsk Oblast and Luhansk Oblast and . The two states declared independence not long ago, becoming the "Luhansk People's Republic" and the "Donetsk People's Republic". Just before the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian War, Russian President Putin announced that they recognized these two "republics" as independent countries. The "special military operation" since February 24 has been carried out in the Donbass region from the beginning.
[Ukraine Administrative Division Map]
For Russia, occupying the Donbass region is the lowest target of the entire Russian-Ukrainian conflict. If even the Donbass region cannot be defeated, it means that Russia has suffered a defeat in the entire Russian-Ukrainian war. According to a 2004 poll by the Kiev International Sociology Institute, the proportion of Russian-speaking population in eastern and southern Ukraine is far greater than that in other regions.
Donetsk has 93% of the population, and Luhansk has 89% of the population speaks Russian. In other regions, Crimea 97%, Zaporoje Prefecture 81%, Odessa Prefecture 85%, Kharkov Prefecture 74%, Nikolayev Prefecture 66%, Dnepropetrovsk Prefecture 72%. The dark green area in the figure below.
We all know that after Russia occupied Crimea in 2014, the Donbas region was attacked by Ukrainian troops. Therefore, from the Russian perspective, occupying the Donbas region and ensuring the safety of the lives of local people is the most basic morality; on this basis, if Zaporoje Prefecture and Khlsong Prefecture are occupied, the passage from Donbas to Crimea can be opened, making the Russian-speaking areas connected, which will greatly improve the transportation and logistics issues in Crimea; if Nikolayev Prefecture and Odessa Prefecture are further occupied, Russia will control all the coastal areas of Ukraine.
However, for Ukraine, if Russia succeeds, Ukraine will become a pure landlocked country. What's more serious is that these areas concentrate the vast majority of Ukraine's industries and GDP. If occupied by the Russian army, the remaining territory of Ukraine will become a poor country dominated by agriculture. Therefore, from the perspective of Ukraine, we will never accept this fate.
NATO Secretary-General is already hinting at the hope that Ukraine can trade land for peace. Many European countries have too great economic impact caused by the war and are no longer willing to continue the war. However, the United States has another attitude. Biden and many senior U.S. government officials have said that the United States hopes Ukraine will fight to the "last Ukrainian". In this war, the United States can sell arms, oil, natural gas, and , and take over the safe-haven capital pouring out from Europe to alleviate the economic problems of the United States. Why not do it?
So from the moment, this war will continue, and the Ukrainian government has begun to mobilize 1 million troops to recruit. But in the end, the Ukrainian people were suffering.
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