Ukrainian Army Strikes Russian Troops, MLRS in Kherson Oblast; Putin’s Red Lines, War Aims Shift in Ukraine; Largest Oil Refinery in Russia Catches Fire, No Injuries Reported; CIT Analyst Says Why Ukrainian Troops May Go on the Offensive as Winter Sets In, LIVE UPDATES and MORE

By admin On Nov 29, 2022

Ukrainian army strikes Russian troops, MLRS in Kherson Oblast, says local official:

The Armed Forces of Ukraine struck a cluster of Russian Grad multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) and troops in Kherson Oblast, adviser to Kherson Oblast’s Council, Serhiy Khlan, said on Facebook on Nov. 28.

According to him, the Ukrainian military struck the enemy in the village of Velyki Kopani, and the Grads were located on the territory of an unfinished market facility.

“The occupying troops are in great panic,” noted Khlan.

“Their personnel were hit too. It is impossible to calculate the exact number of casualties at the moment. No one is allowed in; Russians are running around in shock.”

Early reports say it was a unit of mercenaries from Dagestan that was struck.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces are yet to confirm those reports.

On Nov. 11, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu reported that the Russian military had completed a full withdrawal from the city of Kherson and the western bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast. They did so in order to maintain the remains of their military personnel and equipment amid a successful Ukrainian counter-offensive in the area. —>READ MORE HERE

WSJ: Vladimir Putin’s Red Lines, War Aims Shift in Ukraine:

Russian leader is seen improvising after setbacks. ‘A degree of desperation,’ one academic says.

President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has been punctuated by frequent Russian threats to escalate the war. Many have been later dialed down or ignored, leaving the U.S. and its allies guessing what the Russian leader’s real red lines are.

Russia’s repeated ultimatums and U-turns, along with its ever-shifting war aims, have reinforced the belief among Western government officials that Mr. Putin is being forced to improvise in a war that has slipped out of his control.

Western diplomats say nonetheless they must take what the Russian leader says seriously, including his suggestion that he would be prepared to use nuclear weapons. While officials believe a Russian nuclear attack on Ukraine is very unlikely, Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns traveled to Ankara this month to warn his Russian counterpart against it.

“There’s a degree of desperation now in the Putin behavior. Because he must know that it’s not going well on the battlefield and that he’s got to settle in for the long haul militarily,” said Michael Clarke, visiting professor in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London.

Russia has scaled up its aggression against Ukraine. In recent weeks, it has pushed tens of thousands more troops toward the front lines and has launched repeated attacks on civilian infrastructure, especially Ukraine’s electricity network, plunging Kyiv and other cities into frequent darkness.

The goal, say military analysts, is to sap Ukrainian morale by freezing its population during the winter, further heighten the costs of Western support for Kyiv and show Russians that the war is being pursued aggressively. —>READ MORE HERE

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