The massive Russian bombings that fell on several cities in Ukraine on Monday, October 10 bear witness “a change in the nature and pace of the conflict”, estimate the Washington Post. So much so that the question now arises of a possible change of strategy on the Western side. Whereas “the war in Ukraine is at a turning point”, “some wonder if the United States and its allies should go further than helping Ukraine defend itself by contributing more forcefully to facilitating a Ukrainian victory,” notes the American daily.
Invited Tuesday, October 11 to an emergency virtual meeting of the G7, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky intends “demand a radical change in the aid given by the West, after the Russian bombings”note it Guardian.
Kyiv should particularly focus on its air systems needs. US President Joe Biden, who spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart on Monday, has already promised that the United States will provide Ukraine with advanced air defense systems. According CNN, “The White House did not specify which specific systems Biden had discussed with Zelensky, but the United States had previously committed to providing Ukraine with National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), capable of to counter Russian cruise missiles”.
“The specter of a new threat to northern Ukraine”
Ukraine also wantse “the Biden administration ends its reservations about the possibility of providing it with longer-range tactical missile systems – known as ATACM”weapons capable of “hit Russian targets more than 300 kilometers away” highlighted Foreign Policy. kyiv also hopes to obtain Gray Eagle combat drones to counter Iranian drones that have recently “causing havoc on Ukrainian lines”.
Calling Monday at “total dismantling of the political regime of Ukraine”, Russian ex-president Dmitry Medvedev, current number 2 of the Moscow Security Council, has promised that the latest Russian strikes are just one “first episode”.
“Some signs seem to indicate that Mr. Putin is preparing for a wider escalation of the war”underlines for his part the New York Times. “On Saturday he appointed a general known for his cruelty, Sergei Surovikin, to lead the war effort in Ukraine”, notes the American daily. As for his “closest international ally Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko” said on Monday that thousands of Russian troops would soon arrive in the country to form a joint military group with Belarusian forces, raising the specter of a new threat in northern Ukraine”.