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The Kremlin’s plans: aggression, the destruction of Ukraine and the moral collapse of the West

The Kremlin’s plans: aggression, the destruction of Ukraine and the moral collapse of the West
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Russian "analysts" in an informal circle frankly shared their plans and expectations for the war in Ukraine. Judging by the concrete steps taken by the Russian leadership, their revelations do not just represent the inadequate dreams of a handful of extremists but reflect the vision of the Kremlin. Of course, this does not mean that these plans will come true – moreover, it's almost guaranteed that none of the goals set by Moscow will be achieved. However, it is important to know what the Russian leadership is trying to achieve and what steps it intends to take

Against the background of the Ukrainian counter-offensive the Kremlin press has activated the theme of a fall offensive against Odesa and Mykolaiv. Pro-Kremlin military experts claim that Kyiv lost a great deal of personnel and equipment in the Kherson and Mykolaiv oblasts thereby “exposing” the southern flank. Analysts loyal to the Kremlin do not conceal the goals of the Russian Army – to seize as much territory as possible before the start of the winter season.

Map of combat zone / screenshot from DeepStateMap.Live

It is interesting that experts of the western analytical platform Visegrad Insight also believe that if Russia holds Kherson, it can relentlessly attack Mykolaiv and then move on to Odesa to grab all of Ukraine’s ports and achieve a coveted land bridge to Transnistria. An indirect sign of Vladimir Putin's preparation for an offensive could be his decreet on increase the number of Russian troops by 137,000.

Read more: ​Ukraines General Staff Operational Report: russians Frantically Abandoning Their Positions Amid Successful Counter-Offensive Of Ukrainian Troops

This decision was dictated by the very real need to increase the military contingent, since even military analysts loyal to the Kremlin have noted repeatedly that Russia simply does not have the human resources for a massive offensive. Now Moscow is actively recruiting not only prisoners, but also the homeless for the war, and according to well-known journalist Aleksander Nevzorov, they are also trying to attract patients from mental hospitals to the fighting. In the regions of Russia, mercenary detachments are actively recruiting, however, according to Western military analysts, they will not be able to meet war needs of the army. At the same time, even pro-Kremlin experts warn that the announcement of a general mobilization will lead to a sharp increase in popular anti-war sentiment.

Even pro-Kremlin experts warn that the announcement of a general mobilization will lead to a sharp increase in popular anti-war sentiment

It looks like the Kremlin is really trying to replenish its armed forces for the coming offensive, while avoiding a general mobilization. This was stated by deputy chairman of the Russian party “For Truth” Alexander Kazakov, former adviser to the deceased head of the so-called "DNR" Alexander Zakharchenko. In his words, soon a third phase of the so-called “special military operation” will be revealed, the main element of which will be a “radical increase of the Russian contingent in Ukraine.”

Kazakov assures that there not be a mobilization in Russia or a formal declaration of war, but rather the increase will be achieved by the transfer to Ukraine of other units of the active army now located along the borders of Russia. In saying this, Zakharchenko’s former advisor does not hide the fact that this will leave unguarded the entire perimeter of Russian borders, however he says he sees no “actual risks” for the security of the country.

Aleksandr Kazakov is cunning when he speaks of the possibility of sending conscripts to Ukraine. Right now, it’s permitted to send only contract servicemen to the battle zone, though this is often not the case in practice. The media have often reported that to meet requirements, the Russian Ministry of Defense uses threats and pressure to force conscripts to sign contracts. But even the Russian authorities cannot intimidate hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

The only way to ensure a “legal” way of transferring conscripts to the war could be pseudo-referendums on the incorporation of the occupied territories into Russia. While illegal from the point of view of international law, such an action nevertheless will permit the Russian authorities to declare the seized regions “Russian territory,” which would permit the Kremlin to send conscripts there without contracts.

The only way to ensure a “legal” way of transferring conscripts to the war could be pseudo-referendums on the incorporation of the occupied territories into Russia

Besides this, Moscow can begin a partial mobilization of certain sectors of the population, for example state employees liable for military service who, because, by virtue of their position dependent on the state, it will be difficult for them to refuse. A partial mobilization, according to Kremlin strategists, could reduce future growth of anti-war sentiment. Considering that Kazakov, like his colleagues, emphasizes that by winter Ukraine should have no access to the Black Sea coast, an offensive should begin no later than November.

Kazakov provided other prognoses during a meeting of the “social-political club,’ “Ulitsa pravdi” (Truth Street). Since the audience of “Street” is smaller than any propaganda channel, its participants are not burdened with the need to zombify a large number of people, and they frankly voiced the plans of the Russian authorities regarding Ukraine and the West. In particular, Aleksander Kazakov said that the goal of the war unleashed by Putin is for Ukraine to disappear from the face of the earth, ceasing to exist not only nominally, but also physically.

Aleksander Kazakov said that the goal of the war unleashed by Putin is for Ukraine to disappear from the face of the earth, ceasing to exist not only nominally, but also physically

“Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin said that we do not plan to occupy Ukraine. Really, why must we occupy Ukraine? It simply will not exist, it will become Russian,” he assures.

Such ideas, while completely unrealistic, reflect the desires of Putin himself. All of his numerous essays on the "artificiality" of the Ukrainian state expose the real reason for the invasion – the inability of the Russian president to come to terms with the very existence of an independent Ukraine.

Neuroset showed the Russia of the future

Kazakov’s next thesis is also quite interesting. He said that the destruction of Ukraine will destroy completely the entire architecture of the world order developed after the World War II, including all international institutions founded with the participation of Kyiv, and all provisions on the inviolability of borders.

“When the special military operation is complete and Ukraine has disappeared like the morning fog, all the borders of Europe will again become conditional,” he argues. After that, Kazakov prophesizes, all European countries will begin to reorganize existing borders. The Germans, in his opinion, will begin to make claims against the Poles, the Hungarians will try to capture part of Romania, and so on.

Neuroset showed the Russia of the future

Despite all the insanity of such reasoning, it is no secret that this has long been in the thoughts of the Russian leadership. Over the past months, the foreign intelligence service has reported regularly on Poland’s supposed “plans to seize Ukraine.” The Russian authorities even before the beginning of full-scale war hoped that the growing Eastern powers also would join in the bloody redivision of the world. Now, the same bet is placed on Western countries.

Moreover, over the past years Putin and his propagandists have tried to convince Russian society that all Western values, including democracy and human rights are nothing but cover for NATO plans to take over the world. It is important for the Kremlin to show that its opponent is no different from it in terms of unscrupulousness and cynicism and will abandon principles as soon as it’s profitable.

It is in this that the Russian leadership sees victory over the Western world. If the West abandons its basic legal foundations – both in relation to individuals and peoples – this means that instead of a confrontation between the free world and dictatorships, the current confrontation will be reduced to a banal conflict over territories, characteristic of past centuries.

Neuroset showed the Russia of the future

The Kremlin conceives of its victory not in terms of Europe losing territories, but in the loss of Europe as a civilizational phenomenon. That is why it is important for the Western world not only to support Ukraine, but also not to deviate from its own principles of human rights, personal responsibility, inviolability of borders and everything that has made Western civilization truly advanced.

Kseniya Kirillova

The Russian-language original of the article is available on the site "February Morning" («Утро февраля»).

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