Russia-Ukraine conflict: President Vladimir Putin’s troops face ‘looming’ defeat as Kremlin prepares to annex Ukrainian areas

Russia is ready to annex 4 extra areas of Ukraine inside hours, sparking fears of a “harmful escalation” within the conflict – however consultants insist the invaders are about to face a large defeat.

President Vladimir Putin will maintain a signing ceremony later as we speak which can see Russia formally annex the areas of Luhansk and Donetsk in Ukraine’s east, and Zaporizhzhia and Kherson within the south.

The transfer comes after rushed referendums have been held within the areas final week, with the overwhelming majority of votes supporting annexation.

Nevertheless, the referendums have been universally condemned as shams, with German Overseas Minister Annalena Baerbock claiming that some residents had been taken to vote at gunpoint, which she described as “the alternative of free and truthful elections”.

In the meantime, UN Secretary-Common Antonio Guterres lately warned that the annexation of the areas would mark a “harmful escalation” that will undermine the potential of peace, given Russia has declared that any future assaults on the areas could be thought of an assault on Russia itself, and will even be defended with nuclear weapons.

“Putin has given us a selection – settle for the redrawing of border by way of pressure and keep away from nuclear threats (for now) or reject sham referendums and assist Ukraine protect itself and nation-state idea and settle for nuclear dangers,” former US arms management official Jon Wolfsthal mentioned in a tweet relating to the disaster.

However whereas the state of affairs appears to be deteriorating, a string of consultants have claimed that Russia is in reality dealing with a brand new, main defeat which might flip the tables on the brutal invasion.

‘Imminent, painful defeat’

Whereas Russia prepares for annexation, Ukrainian troops have been ramping up plans to recapture the important thing city of Lyman within the north of the Donetsk area.

If profitable, it might pose a serious setback for Putin’s plans for the Donbas area, which grew to become a serious focus of the invasion after Russia’s early failures.

Initially, Russia deliberate to grab the capital Kyiv and second metropolis Kharkiv, however troops have been met with fierce resistance, inflicting Russia to rapidly pivot its technique and as an alternative zero in on the economic Donbas area – together with Donetsk and Luhansk – an space the place Putin falsely accused Ukraine of committing genocide.

But when Ukraine succeeds in capturing Lyman, it might present a serious ethical enhance – and will additionally lay the inspiration for Ukraine to progress into the close by Luhansk area, which would depart Putin’s plans for the realm in tatters.

And it looks as if issues might be going Ukraine’s manner, with former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt declaring on Twitter that: “The state of affairs appears to be like more and more precarious for Russian forces in Lyman as Ukrainian forces are about to chop them off”, including that: “One other painful defeat for the Russian invasion forces is looming”.

That sentiment was echoed by US assume tank the Institute for the Examine of Warfare, which agreed Russia confronted “imminent defeat” in Lyman.

The physique claims Ukraine has already taken villages close by Lyman, and famous that Russian army bloggers had expressed “elevated concern” over the Lyman state of affairs this week, “suggesting that Russian forces on this space might face imminent defeat”.

“The collapse of the Lyman pocket will seemingly be extremely consequential to the Russian grouping in northern Donetsk and western Luhansk oblasts and will permit Ukrainian troops to threaten Russian positions alongside the western Luhansk oblast border and within the Severodonetsk-Lysychansk space,” the institute mentioned.

“Extra Russian losses would additional erode morale amid the nation’s mobilisation.”

It added that Russia was counting on “newly mobilised and undertrained” recruits to bolster “severely degraded remnants of assorted models” which have been beforehand considered comprised of Russia’s high fighters.

And it isn’t simply Western sources speaking about Lyman, with the Moscow-installed head of town’s administration admitting yesterday that it was more and more “tough” for Russia to carry the territory within the face of Ukrainian advances.

New menace dealing with Putin

Whereas Ukrainian forces are threatening Putin’s marketing campaign, the chief can also be dealing with an unprecedented menace from inside.

In line with a damning new survey by Russia’s unbiased Levada Centre, nearly all of Russians don’t assist the president’s choice to pressure 300,000 army reservists into battle, with increasingly residents satisfied the conflict shouldn’t be going their manner.

The mobilisation of the reservists – together with retirees – brought about emotions of concern, alarm or shock in 70 per cent of these polled, with 66 per cent believing Putin might ultimately develop the mobilisation to your complete nation.

In the meantime, 31 per cent consider the invasion is failing, with virtually half supporting peace talks, and a separate Levada ballot additionally revealed Putin’s approval score had plummeted on account of the mobilisation.

Main announcement inside hours

A signing ceremony to include Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson into Russia can be held within the St George Corridor of the Grand Kremlin Palace at 3pm Russian time (1am NZ time).

“Separate agreements can be signed with the 2 Russian-backed separatist leaders from the east and the 2 Russian-appointed officers from the south,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned in a press release.

He added that the ceremony could be adopted by a “voluminous speech” by Putin himself, which can be keenly watched by consultants in a bid to seek out clues relating to his deliberate subsequent strikes because the invasion rages on.