Russian troops are fighting for full control of Donbas
Russia is risking its life and death in the Battle of Donbas in eastern Ukraine. Some say that the eastern battle could be the last of the war as the damage to both sides is serious due to the prolonged war. There are also many voices calling for Ukraine and Russia to stop the war through negotiations.
Russia is conducting an intensive attack on the 24th (local time) to secure the Donbas region of Ukraine (Luhansk and Donetsk), surrounding Sibersky Donetsk, which is considered the last bridgehead. At least 14 civilians were killed in indiscriminate bombing by Russian troops armed with bombers, multiple rocket launchers and tanks, Ukrainian troops said. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleva said Russia’s attack on Donbas was the largest in European territory since World War II.
The Russians are tightening their reins and speeding up the war. Russian troops also took control of three regional cities, including Svitlodarsk, in eastern Donetsk Oblast. Pablo Kirillenko, the leader of Donetsk Oblast, said Ukrainian forces temporarily retreated as Russian forces occupied Svitlodarsk, CNN reported. Ukraine’s Defense Ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motujanik said, “The country’s fate could be decided (in the eastern battle), but the situation on the front is very difficult.”
The war is becoming more and more brutal. It is reported that 200 decomposed bodies were found in the rubble of a high-rise building in the southern port city of Mariupol, which was controlled by Russia. Along with the eastern Donbas region, Mariupol has been targeted by Russian troops since the beginning of the Russian invasion, and 90% of the city has been devastated by bombing.
First of all, Ukraine expects Severonetsk to eventually be occupied by Russia like Mariupol. If Russia wins Severonetsk, it will achieve half of the goal of recapturing Donbas as a whole. Ukraine is said to have devised a strategy to slow down the Russian advance by taking as much time as possible in Severonetsk. This is because the cost of the Russian military increases as the losses of the Ukrainian military are great.
Some argue that Ukraine and Russia should stop the war through negotiations as the war flows into a war of attrition. “Ukraine should not try to win a complete victory over Russia and start negotiations as soon as possible,” former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger told the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
In particular, Kissinger stressed that Ukraine should abandon its attitude to restore its territory that had been taken by Russia. Before the war, Russia was already occupying part of eastern Ukraine, but Ukraine should not claim to regain it. Kissinger suggested that Western countries such as the U.S. should also support negotiations rather than continue the war due to the atmosphere. 안전공원