There is a risk: Russian strikes could hit supply lines inside NATO
Russia may resort to strikes on the logistics centers of NATO countries in order to disrupt the supply of weapons to Ukraine, writes the Daily Express. The author of the article does not rule out further escalation of the conflict with the involvement of the West in it.
Charlie Bradley (CharlieBradley)
Western countries continue to support Ukraine in the form of arms supplies. Earlier this month, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised to provide her with weapons for another $ 300 million. Last month, US President Joe Biden also announced his intention to allocate $ 800 million to Ukraine for these purposes.
The weapons sent by the Allies played an important role in the unexpectedly successful defense of Ukraine, and anti-tank weapons proved decisive in the context of deterring enemy forces.
Meanwhile, Russia has begun to launch airstrikes to eliminate convoys moving through Ukraine with military equipment sent by the West.
In an interview with DailyExpress, the director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Dr. Neil Melvin, said that in the future Russia may despair and bring down the power of its aviation on the territory of NATO countries:
"Of course, there is concern about the escalation, during which the Russian-Ukrainian conflict will grow into a much larger one. NATO adheres very clearly to the rules that were in effect during the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States – the bottom line is that you do not fight each other directly.
NATO stated that it would not deploy troops on the territory of Ukraine, and took into account such ambiguous moments as no-fly zones. These are the established rules of the game, but we cannot say exactly how the Russians understand them.
They are gradually increasing their efforts in an attempt to disrupt the supply of equipment coming to Ukraine. At the moment, the strikes are carried out exclusively on the territory of this country, but there are fears that in case of a possible loss, the Russians will become desperate and they will try to hit supply lines on the territory of NATO countries.
For example, on bases in Poland. This, of course, is a risk. At the moment, supplies are well established, but only time will tell exactly how the conflict will develop."
Earlier, Moscow intensified strikes on supply channels, but according to Washington's assurances, the equipment it sent reached Ukrainian territory unhindered.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby noted that Russian troops are not very successful in terms of hitting targets. He stated the following: “I just want to remind you that throughout the conflict, their ability to carry out high-precision aiming was not particularly advertised. Accurate strikes are not their strong suit. The flow of weapons goes to the region at an incredible pace, and from there every day equipment is sent to Ukraine. All weapons, all systems fall directly into the hands of Ukrainians."
Having abandoned the initial goal of capturing Kiev, Russia has concentrated its efforts in the south and east of Ukraine, depriving the country of access to the Black Sea and trying to take control of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky warned that as a result of Russian strikes, Donbass may become uninhabitable. He said: “They want to burn Donbass to the ground... and make it uninhabitable.”
He also complained about the inability of the European Union to take decisive action against the new (sixth) package of sanctions, which was blocked by Hungary.
Zelensky also called on the West to increase the supply of weapons to his country, saying: “We need the help of partners, first of all, weapons for Ukraine. Full help, no exceptions, no restrictions, enough to win."
The UN has released data according to which, from February 24, when the Russian special operation began, to May 25, 8691 civilians became victims of the conflict, among them at least 3,998 dead and at least 4,693 wounded.
