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Putin bombed Ukraine’s capital Kiev on Monday.
84 rockets and cruise missiles and 24 combat drones: Moscow retaliated Monday for the attack on the Crimean bridge and attacks on cities across Ukraine. Besides, the Russians had civil infrastructure such as transportation hubs and electricity. A children’s playground was also attacked.
Long-range shelling continued on Tuesday. The Russians fired about 20 rockets at Kiev, Odessa and other areas. In Vinnytsia, southwest of Kyiv, a thermal power plant was destroyed by combat drones. However, according to Ukrainian media, several missiles were intercepted by the Ukrainian defense system.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi (44) said: “The occupiers cannot resist us on the battlefield, that’s why they resort to this terror.”
Russians release videos: This is where rockets are launched towards Ukraine(00:44)
Weak ground forces
The fact that the Russians now rely on long-range fire really has something to do with their ground forces. Wolfgang Richter (73), a former colonel in the German Bundeswehr and now a military expert at the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik in Berlin, told Blick: “The Russians must reduce the phase of weakness of their ground forces by intensifying the air war.”
On the Russian side, it is expected that 50,000 to 60,000 soldiers may have been killed, wounded, or otherwise unfit for action. According to Richter, the Russians in Ukraine may have only 120,000 soldiers, who will be reinforced by about 30,000 eastern Ukrainian fighters.
They are opposed by a Ukrainian army that could number up to 700,000 highly motivated active soldiers after being called up for reserves and territorial defense.
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Three weeks ago, President Vladimir Putin (70) announced the mobilization of 300,000 men. “It takes two to three months for these forces to be trained, armed and brought to the front line,” says Richter.
During this transition period, the Russians attempted to damage Ukrainian infrastructure. Richter: “By attacking railway junctions and power supplies, they ensure that it is very difficult to move logistics and heavy weapons like artillery and tanks from the west.”
Richter says the bombing will have an impact on the Ukrainian counteroffensive. “The Ukrainians don’t have the strength for a major attack on Crimea,” he says. Taking the city of Cherson and crossing the Dnipro was the first difficulty, especially since the Ukrainians had destroyed the bridges.
Attack in Southeast: The video shows the mega explosion in Dnipro(00:29)
The Russians have taken precautions
Observers said that Russia has now launched all of its modern rockets, leaving only older ones. Wolfgang Richter was skeptical. “We don’t know exactly how many modern missile systems Russia still has. So far, land-based Iskander missiles and air-launched cruise missiles have only been used in limited numbers.
Richter is convinced that the Russians made preparations for war. Therefore, he estimates their weapons stockpile as large. “In Russia, a large number of large weapons systems, including more than 9,000 main battle tanks, are stored in depots. They may not be ready for use at the moment, but a large part can be repaired in the future. »
Tatiana Kochereva from Kiev: “Can’t live in this fear forever!”(02:44)
Bombing in Ukraine: The UN considers it a war crime(01:19)
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