First, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russian forces would not storm the Azovstal steelworks. Then, a few days later, Reuters reported that Russian forces were now planning a storming of the steel plant.
On Friday, April 22, a Russian general announced that they wanted to create a corridor through Ukraine from Transnistria in Moldova to the Crimean peninsula.
A comprehensive and unrealistic military operation, claims Lieutenant Colonel Geir Hågen Karlsen.
He believes that both Putin’s statement about the Azov steelworks and the Russian general’s corridor planning may be misleading the Ukrainians.
Gloomy prophecy: – Catastrophic mistake
– Completely unrealistic
– The corridor a Russian general was talking about is a very extensive military operation that is far beyond what the Russians have capacity to date, the lieutenant colonel tells Dagbladet.
Karlsen believes the purpose of the statement may be to tie up Ukrainian forces there, to avoid more Ukrainian forces being moved east to the fighting in the Donbas.
– It is completely unrealistic for the Russians to be able to implement this, at least for the first few weeks, says Karlsen.
– It is also completely dependent on them succeeding in the major operation they are conducting in eastern Ukraine.
Russian forces have previously launched a major military operation in eastern Ukraine to gain control of the Donbas. Experts have previously claimed it is important goal for Putin before May 9an important anniversary in Russia.
– We want to go home
– Legitimate and smart
In the important port city of Mariupol, Russian forces have gained control almost the whole city.
The Azovstal steelworks still houses about 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers and 1,000 civilians.
Putin stated earlier this week that they should not storm the steelworks, but isolate it so that “not a single fly enters”.
On Saturday 23 April, Reuters writes that Russian forces have now launched an air strike against the steel plant.
