Putin gets more involved in war strategy as Russia's losses mount in Ukraine: Report

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has decided to take a more active role in laying the Russian military strategy as Russian losses mount up in its war efforts against Ukraine. According to a report by New York Times, Putin has been engaged in the strategic planning for the war in Ukraine in an upfront manner in the recent week.  

American officials have said that Putin’s involvement in the strategic planning included his rejection of the requests from his generals on the ground that they be allowed to retreat from the city of Kherson, reported New York Times.  

Kherson was the first major Ukrainian city to be occupied by the Russian forces in the initial stage of the invasion. Furthermore, the city remains the only regional capital under Russia’s control. The city is vital for Russia’s war efforts as a withdrawal from the city would equal to another humiliating public defeat and would add on to the rhetoric that President Putin’s special military operation in Ukraine was failing. Furthermore, it would lead to a second major victory for Ukraine in one month.   

Ukraine pushes forward with the counter-offensive  

Ukraine had launched a full-scale counter-offensive against the Russian forces in late August. The city of Kherson was the first focus of the counter-attack. Responding to Ukraine’s moves, Moscow redirected attention and troops to the southern city of Kherson. This provided Ukraine with an opportunity to launch another highly effective offensive in the country's northeast region, near Kharkiv.  

Russian commanders on the field have requested President Putin to allow the Russian armed forces to pull back across the Dnipro River in an orderly way. This will preserve the equipment of the troops and save the lives of Russian soldiers. However, as per the report by New York Times, Putin has rejected the request while thrusting himself directly into strategic planning.  

The President of Russia had recently announced a partial military mobilisation amid Ukraine's counteroffensive that called on 3,00,000 Russian reserve troops into military service, a move that was cited by the UK’s Defence Ministry (MoD) to be “an admission that Russia has exhausted its supply of willing volunteers to fight in Ukraine.”  

Morale of the Russian troops decreasing: US officials  

American officials further revealed that President Putin’s rejection of a military pullback from Kherson has led to a decrease in the morale of Russian troops citing that they have been mostly cut off from their supply lines.  

As per a previous intelligence input by UK’s MoD, Ukrainian forces had recaptured most of the Kharkiv region, including Izium, a city which had served as an important Russian re-supply hub. 

Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States stated on September 23 in an interview, “The situation in Ukraine is clearly dynamic. It’s too early for a full assessment, but it is clear to me that the strategic initiative has shifted to the Ukrainians.”   

Despite Ukraine’s latest counteroffensives in the northeast, the area around Kherson is a critical theatre in the war, with profound strategic implications for both Moscow and Kyiv, stated the report.

Image: AP