Professor Pierre Jolicoeur, as part of the ICI premiere Midi-Info program, explained that the Russian embassy could be summed up in a few words: I occupy your territory, you may be able to defend yourself a little, but if you want to push the conflict further, we will bomb some more. Then you have no choice but to give up!
In the early hours of Monday, about 83 Russian rockets were reportedly fired at various Ukrainian cities, and munitions fell particularly in downtown Kyiv, the capital. So far 11 people have been killed and 89 injured. Energy and telecommunications infrastructure was also damaged.
All this, according to Mr. Jolicoeur, is explained by the fact that on Saturday a violent explosion destroyed part of the bridge connecting Crimea with Russia, which led to the collapse of part of a span, damaging the roads of the bridge and killing three people .
Vladimir Putin makes no bones about it: Russia’s unprecedented strikes in Ukraine are intended as a response to the Crimean Bridge attack. Our correspondent Tamara Alteresco analyzes this recent escalation.
Kyiv denied its involvement in the event, while Moscow accused Ukraine of committing a terrorist attack.
The bridge in question, which crosses the Kerch Strait, is very important logistically and symbolically: it is one of the first infrastructures built after the annexation of Crimea, recalls Mr Jolicoeur.
This is the only point that allows communication with Russia without going through Ukrainian territory, so it is very important. The military use [aussi] this passage to supply the soldiers with food and weapons as far as Crimea and thereafter to support the war effort in the rest of Ukraine.
If traffic on the bridge were permanently disrupted, including rail traffic, which is at the heart of Russia’s logistics network, Moscow would have to circulate its supply convoys and reinforcements through areas of eastern Ukraine it controls that are within range of Ukrainian artillery, says Moscow the specialist.
According to the latter, the explosion on the Kerch Bridge is part of the Kiev counter-offensive, during which Ukrainian troops seized thousands of square kilometers from the invader. In response, Russia was forced to mobilize more citizens to participate in the war in response to the weakening of the front line.
Added to this are the sham referendums aimed at annexing the territories occupied by Moscow, the holding of which has been accelerated, the professor mentions.
“All this shows that Russia does not want to give in, does not want to stop, but it is also a rush. Despite the problems, we are continuing the offensive and the attacks today, as the bombardments show. »
— A quote from Pierre Jolicoeur, Professor at the Royal Military College, Kingston
Should these new attacks, indiscriminately aimed at civilian targets, be seen as a sign of the Russian invasion’s new commander, known for his ferocity?
Mr. Jolicoeur doesn’t rule out the idea, but he also believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin could have made that decision. And it’s a bit like terrorism: we’re bombing several cities in Ukraine and creating a climate of terror, he says.
How to avoid such an attack if Moscow continues to pile backlash on the ground? Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is calling for more anti-aircraft systems, especially as half of the missiles fired by Moscow were reportedly intercepted.
Mr. Jolicoeur fully agrees with the Ukrainian Prime Minister: the needs [militaires] are glaring, and this is an opportunity to recall or renew requests for more equipment, including anti-aircraft equipment.