More than 8 months have passed since the war between Russia and Ukraine, but the Russian army has been retreating instead of advancing. When the war began in February, Russian President Vladimir Putin assumed he would defeat Ukraine within a week, but all his calculations were wrong. The Russian army invaded the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, but was forced to abandon the offensive after its supply lines were disrupted along the way. The war between Russia and Ukraine has so far killed or wounded around two hundred thousand soldiers, one hundred thousand of whom are Russian. The main reason why Russia can’t win even after all these casualties is the help Ukraine is getting from the West. The US recently announced $400 million in aid to Ukraine, including air defense systems in addition to ammunition. The war with Russia has cost Europe more than America. European countries have an unprecedented energy crisis and the economy is in trouble.
Last month, Russia announced the annexation of the Ukrainian city of Kherson to Russia. The city of Kherson is located on the border of Crimea, which was conquered by Russia in 2014. When the city of Kherson was annexed to Russia, a grand victory ceremony was held in Moscow’s Red Square, attended by Russian President Putin. Now that the Russian army has announced its withdrawal from Kherson, the announcement was made on National TV. on, in which the Chief of the Russian Army, General Sergey Surovykin, was present. A river called Nipro flows through the city of Kherson. The Russian army is supplied with grain and ammunition from this river. Ukraine’s military bombed its bridges, disrupting the army’s supply lines.
The population of Kherson city is around three lakhs. It is geographically located at a strategic location. Kherson is a link between Russian-held Crimea and Ukraine. It is also close to the Black Sea. Even if Ukraine wants to retake Crimea, the city of Kherson is very important for it. The largest river in Ukraine is the Dnipro. It passes near Kherson. The country which controls the Dnipro river has an advantage in war. Russia had so far won only one regional capital in the war against Ukraine, which was Kherson.
Kherson is the name of the province and also the name of its capital. About 40,000 Russian troops were present in Kherson. He has begun his retreat, but it will take a week for the entire army to evacuate Kherson. Ukraine’s military is in no mood to rush into the evacuated Kherson. He fears that tunnels have been laid for him in Kherson. It is also suspected that some Russian soldiers have remained in Kherson in civilian guise. If the Ukrainian army enters Kherson, they may be called into open fire. Then it can be said that the Ukrainian army was fired upon by the citizens of Kherson. Therefore, the Ukrainian army waits for the Russian army to completely vacate Kherson and move south.
In September four Ukrainian provinces were annexed into Russia, including Donetsk and Luhansk, as well as Kherson and Zaporizhia. Following Russia’s recognition of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states, residents set off fireworks and took to the streets waving the Russian national flag. His pictures were released by Russian state propaganda media. These actions of Russia had deep repercussions in Ukraine. Concerns were expressed by its citizens that Russia would soon attack Ukraine as well. Russian troops were sent to Donetsk and Luhansk. They were attached to Russia by holding a fake referendum. About 6,000 square kilometers of territory conquered by Russia have been liberated since the Ukrainian military launched a counter-offensive in August. Now the Ukrainian army is trying to liberate Zaporizhzhia.
Before 1990, Ukraine was part of Russia. When Soviet Russia dissolved in 1991, Ukraine, like other countries, broke away from it, but its governments were pro-Russian. After breaking away from Russia, Ukraine moved away from communism and towards capitalism. Its trade relations increased with European countries. At one point, Ukraine was even ready to join the European Union. In 2013, there was a coup in Ukraine and its pro-Russian president was forced to resign. The new government that came to Ukraine was a pro-European capitalist government. This caused oil to be poured into Russia’s stomach, but it was sitting still. Russia retaliated by invading Crimea and separating it from Ukraine. Ukraine has not yet relinquished its claim to Crimea. Russia demands that Crimea be accepted as part of it.
Russia’s plan was to take all of Ukraine by war. That plan did not succeed. The Russian army is also having to retreat from the territories it had conquered. About one lakh soldiers of Russia have been killed in this war. The government ordered the youth to join the compulsory army to take their place was also opposed by the youth. Some youths sat on dharna while some fled the country.
This column has previously written that the ongoing war in Ukraine is just a drama. The real war between Russia and America is going on on the economic front. Economic sanctions imposed by America to punish Russia are now boomeranging. With the exclusion of Russian banks from the SWIFT system by the US, the reserves of 360 billion dollars with Russia have become useless. Russia cannot pay for any goods it wants to buy from abroad in dollars.
However, Russia has found its way. European countries buy 25 percent of their mineral oil and gas from Russia. They also cannot afford to pay Russia in dollars or euros. Russia is asking them to pay in rubles. They have to buy these rubles from Russian banks by selling gold. Due to this, the prices of ruble have increased. India is ready if European countries refuse to buy in roubles. If Russia is able to provide an alternative to the dollar, the war without America will be a disaster.