While the United States leads the summit with 40 countries in the Ramstein base, in Germany, a swap between Moscow and London: the British define raids on Russian territory as legitimate, the Russians consider themselves authorized to do the same in NATO countries
The contenders have unrolled the maps. The Russian one to show the points of the enemy railroad hit by missilesred flashes from the center to the west of Ukraine: the shots fired by Putin’s men hit the lines that bring supplies from the West, but that they are also the diplomatic channel just traveled by American officials. Kiev replied by arguing that the bombing only delayed the movement of the trains, but did not jammed the logistic machine.
Far heavier than the “graphic” duel, however, are the severe warnings from Moscow: Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned the West about its constant dispatch of war material which – he said – risks leading to World War III. And, when London called the alleged Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory “legitimate”, its ministry threatened to take action against NATO states as well. Words all the stronger because delivered at the same time as the NATO summit in Ramsteinconvened by the United States to coordinate future moves destined on the one hand to support Zelensky’s army, on the other hand to wear down the army of the neo-tsar. The exchange contains some points.
Railways and sabotage
The raids on the railway line were expected, if ever one wonders why Moscow has waited so long. The rear of Kiev has remained virtually intact, Russia has limited itself to targeting it from afar, with cruise ships. According to the British, Russia has already consumed 70% of this type of bomb, which alone are not enough. Will General Dvornikov order anything else? Will he also try with aviation? So far, however, the Mig and the Sukhoi have preferred to operate in the combat sector, also frightened by the anti-aircraft systems.
There has often been talk of possible sabotageeven in neighboring countries that act as a logistic platform, often with their railway trains, such as Poland and Slovakia. The repetition of “incidents” or “attacks” – depending on the version – on Russian soil could, however, be used by Putin to authorize missions “beyond the horizon”. London, moreover, has in fact authorized strikes on Russian territory, provoking the reaction of Moscow. British Armed Forces Minister James Heappey defined “Absolutely legitimate” for Ukrainian forces to attack supply lines in enemy territoryhitting the logistics also with weapons supplied by the West: a statement that follows the news a few days ago, when the Times of London revealed that British special forces are training the Ukrainian resistance on the ground. If Kiev can “hit the supply lines deeply,” the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova replied. Moscow can do the same “Within those countries that transfer arms to Ukraine”. Rumors, unconfirmed, add the possible presence of French paratroop dragons in the role of instructors.
The ammunition
The conflict requires a frightening amount of bullets of all kinds, means and spare parts
. The United States, together with its allies, are acting on two levels. In recent weeks they have been raking in as much as possible on the Eastern European market. It is a necessary step: an official American statement made the shopping list. They are all “non-standard” ammunition – that is, not coming from NATO – for cannons, mortars, self-propelled guns, tanks, machine guns. The second option, also obligatory as Western systems are delivered to Kiev, involves the involvement of other companies.
After 9/11, the Pentagon turned to private companies to buy “non-standard” ammunition which were used to supply armies that used Soviet-made weapons, such as Afghanistan, Iraq or Syria. Among these is Ultra Defense Corp, a company based in Tampa, Florida, which in recent years has built a network with factories in Romania, Bosnia, Serbia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria: these countries supply 90% of the “non-standard” ammunition purchased by the Pentagon. The owner is Matthew Herring, who bought it in 2011 when there were 3 employees in total and they supplied Russian-made helicopters to the Afghan forces: Herring, explains the New York Timesis in Poland to meet with Ukrainian officials and understand what his company can do to supply ammunition from Eastern Europe.
The Russians can switch their “park” quite easily and they have precisely in the trains the strong point (more effective than that shown on the ground). Locomotives pull wagons upon wagonsoften through Belarus (where sabotage sometimes takes place).
The offensive
Finally a note on the field. The images show Ukrainian trenches and emplacements with dozens of craters, the signs of a massive fire. The Army, in this phase, can better use its firepower against less mobile and agile defense lines. A hammer represented by long calibers, missiles, rockets and even aviation. It is no coincidence that in some sectors the resistance has been forced to retreat: some observers warn of the greater risks that Zelesnky’s deployment runs into at this stage.
April 26, 2022 (change April 26, 2022 | 17:38)
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