Bloomberg: the second stage of Russia's special operation may be more successful than the first
Ukrainian troops risk being surrounded during a new offensive by Russia, writes Bloomberg. The publication notes that the second stage of the military special operation of the Russian Federation in Ukraine may become more successful than the first.
APU surrounded
"Russia has started what Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called the second phase... (special operations - "Gazeta.Ru") in Ukraine, and there are early signs that it may go better for Russia than the first one," the article says.
Citing the words of an unnamed Ukrainian governor, Bloomberg reported that after "a fierce night artillery shelling of the front line in the east stretching 300 miles (482 km), Russian troops on Tuesday captured" part of the territory of Ukraine, including the city of Kremennaya.
"As a result, they threaten to encircle the area in the upper part of the eastern front, where, according to one military analyst, up to 40% of Ukrainian troops in the region are concentrated," the publication says.
In addition, "columns of tanks and other armored vehicles" were seen heading north along the road from the southeastern port of Mariupol.
"As Russia intensifies bombing of transport infrastructure across the country, Ukraine's ability to quickly deliver Western weapons to a distance of 1,350 km from the Polish border will also become a problem," the newspaper notes.
Deadlines for the completion of the special operation
The article also talks about the possible timing of the completion of Russia's special operation. According to experts, the Russian Federation "risks repeating gross mistakes if it tries to win by May 9."
Bloomberg also mentioned the statement of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on April 19, who believes that the fighting is likely to drag on for several months. And his press secretary Max Blaine believes that despite the "advantages in the number of troops and firepower," Russian troops have "low morale," they are slowly advancing, Russian commanders are "repeating previous mistakes," so "a new offensive will not be decisive."
In addition, the article, citing sources, reports that the number of Russian troops is small "for the scale of the task" - "about 80 thousand people."
"Russian forces have also resumed the massive bombing of Mykolaiv, the gateway to the key port of Odessa, and have taken a number of steps indicating their intention to preserve the successes already achieved in the south, outside the Donbass region, which Putin declared independent," the authors of the article noted.
In their opinion, "any victory" that Russian President Vladimir Putin may announce on May 9 will not suit Ukraine and will not put an end to the war.
The second stage of the special operation
The day before, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with India Today that the Russian Federation is launching the next stage of a military special operation in Ukraine aimed at fully taking control of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics.
"The operation in the east of Ukraine is aimed, as has already been announced from the very beginning, at the complete liberation of the Donetsk and Lugansk republics. This operation will continue, the next phase of this operation is beginning, and it seems to me that now will be an important moment," Lavrov said.
According to him, Russia has recognized the people's republics within the borders of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. At the same time, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry noted that when referendums on self-determination of the DPR and LPR were held in 2014, these regions voted for independence entirely. But then the Ukrainian troops "tore off" a significant part of the territories from each of the republics.
On April 15, in an interview with Argumenty i Fakty, the former commander of the Russian Airborne Forces, the head of the Association of Heroes, Colonel-General Vladimir Shamanov, said that during the next stage of the special operation, Russia should take control of Odessa.
"Mariupol and some other fortified areas are holding back units. As soon as we cut this Gordian knot, it will become much easier, and then we will take up the grouping that is already, in essence, surrounded between the Dnieper and the Raisin and is in the cauldron. Odessa is next. While there is progress in the area of Nikolaev, Odessa, like appendicitis, is blocked, but I think the queue will reach it," he said.
Maria Shustrova
