In the Ukrainian war there is a race against time, according to Army Colonel Berthold Sandtner. And he says what else can stop Vladimir Putin.
After Russian President Vladimir Putin tried for more than 50 days to conquer Ukraine in a brutal war of aggression – and failed – the Russian military is now focusing on eastern Ukraine. Does Putin have more chances there? Yes, says Army Colonel Berthold Sandtner Tuesday night at ORF “ZiB 2” with moderator Armin Wolf. Operational and military objectives have now been reduced and attacks prepared better, according to Sandtner. With a general in charge, there is also stronger military handwriting.
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Putin’s War Against “Ultras and Neo-Nazis”
According to the colonel, there are three reasons why Russian attacks are mainly focused on Mariupol. Mariupol is the “strategic land connection from the Donbas to the Crimea”, and the city also has the most important port in the region. And here, according to the colonel, Putin can focus on his self-declared goal of promoting the “denazification” of Ukraine. The city was accused of being too close to right-wing circles, of “ultras and neo-Nazis”, the colonel said. With the attack, Putin now wants to show that he is pursuing his originally announced goal of “fighting the Nazis”.
Even if the situation for the Russians is now promising, Putin still hasn’t won, but it’s a “race against time”, according to Sandtner. What can stop Putin? If Ukraine manages to get supplies and weapons from the east in time, especially air cannons and rocket launchers, the colonel said. The current situation is that Ukraine is almost defenseless, especially at night when the Russians attack. According to Sandtner, it is realistic for Putin to conquer Donbass by May 9, the day of victory over the German Reich in World War II.
Which could also thwart Putin’s plans
According to the colonel, Putin could also throw a wrench in the works with the deterioration of time and the deepening of the terrain, the good preparation of the Ukrainians with trenches and bunkers and the good knowledge of the enemy’s terrain. In the ORF broadcast, Sandtner didn’t dare make a “final assessment” of which side might prevail until May 9.
rfi navigation account Time 19.04.2022, 22:28| Act: 04/19/2022, 22:34