The surprising and blistering advance of Ukrainian forces into Russian-held territory in Ukraine this month has most probably led several Middle East countries, which a few months ago were seriously studying a possible re-alignment towards Russia, to re-examine the whole question and try to improve their relations with the United States. Ukraine’s military this month has managed to recapture more than 3,000 square miles of land in the country’s northeast and south, causing a big strategic loss for Kremlin and driving Russian forces into a chaotic retreat.
This retreat shows the dismal shortcomings of Russia’s military planning, coordination and execution of military operations.
The Russian Defense Ministry described the retreat as a decision “to regroup” its troops, even though a day earlier it had said that it was moving to reinforce its defensive positions in the region. It is really a far cry from the boasts made at the start of the invasion that “Kyiv will be conquered within 72 hours” and “a Russian puppet-government will be installed in Ukraine in days.” It should be mentioned that Russia has its only naval facility in the Mediterranean region in the Syrian port of Tartus.