On Monday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin made it clear that the U.S. has a broader goal in assisting Ukraine against the invasion by Russian forces. “We want to see Russia weakened to the degree that it can't do the kinds of things that it has done in invading Ukraine,” said Austin.
The secretary of defence’s words have generated a good deal of faux outrage and blustering from those who claim this represents some sort of change from the mission of seeing Ukraine preserve its nation against an illegal and brutal invasion. It’s not. This is that same goal, elevated.
In 1987, historian Barbara Fields said this about of the importance of battles and tactics when discussing the American Civil War: “It’s not about soldiers except to the extent that weapons and soldiers at that crucial moment joined a discussion about something higher, about humanity, about human dignity, about human freedom.”
That’s where we are in Russian invasion of Ukraine. This is, as Fields said then, not about “battles and glory and carnage.” If that’s all there was to it, this would be a very ugly story, no matter which side we were on. For this story to mean something, for the cost of the war in both blood and money to be redeemed, requires a greater goal. The weakening of Russian power under Vladimir Putin might not have the same incalculable good as equality and freedom, but it is an almost unsullied good.
Decades ago, Putin turned his back on joining the family of nations and recreated Russia as an engine of destruction. He has used that engine in disrupting democracies and furthering authoritarian governments, not just in Russia, but around the world—including the United States. He’s used the Russian military to expand his own power by systematically attacking civilian populations in Georgia, Syria, Ukraine, and elsewhere. He’s turned his own nation into a crime-driven and criminal-obsessed parody of what it could be.
Reducing Russia’s ability to conduct more invasions like the one underway in Ukraine isn’t just a side note, it’s a noble goal. It’s a goal that elevates both the contributions we are making to this cause, and the suffering and sacrifice by the Ukrainian people.
Weapons and soldiers are once more in a discussion about something that can’t be measured in the number of tanks destroyed or the acres of land under control. We’re not just obligated to take part in that conversation, we are privileged to do so.
Tuesday, Apr 26, 2022 · 4:21:08 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
We’ve talked several times about Transnistria, sliver of Russian-controlled territory running along the eastern edge of Moldova. In describing their updated goals for Ukraine (when Russia admits that they’ve fallen short on their original goals of simply absorbing Ukraine), Russian officials have suggested that they plan to construct a “land bridge” of territory that would stretch from the Donbas on the east, to Crimea, then on through Odesa to connect with Transnistria. At that point, this whole Ukraine / Moldova hodge-podge would be swallowed up as a new Russian district.
Though Russia hasn’t had a lot of success in attempts to progress past Kherson when it comes to capturing the Ukrainian Black Sea coast, over the last few days, it seems that they’ve been preparing to somehow evolve Transnistria in their chaotic action.
On Monday, a series of explosions in Transnistria included attacks on television towers in the region. There have been suggestions that this is intended as a false-flag operation with Russia claiming that Ukrainian forces had attacked across the border, but it also seems perfectly in line with efforts Russia has made throughout Ukraine to destroy broadcast communications.
In response to the threat of a complete Russian takeover and the possibility of bringing the region into the conflict, hundreds (if not thousands) of those who live in the small region made a break for the border with the rest of Moldova.
And in another bad sign, Russia’s favorite YouTube propagandist has moved his act from explaining how Russia was being so nice to civilians in Mariupol, to explaining how enthusiastic everyone in Transnistria is about getting involved with this invasion.
Tuesday, Apr 26, 2022 · 4:52:46 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
This could be an oddly big deal. DJI drones are cheap and ubiquitous in the U.S. and in Ukraine. However, DJI also offers a software service that allows civil authorities to locate both the GPS location of the drone and the drone operator. It’s intended as a safety feature, so that, for example, police and locate the operators of drones that intrude into space around airports.
Russia, at least until now, has had access to this program. That means that attempts by Ukraine to use standard DJI drones as observation platforms often resulted in quick incoming fire from artillery or MLRS systems targeting the drone operator. Tragically, this also happened in the case of children operating drones for recreation.
If this new means that Russia no longer has access to DJI’s operator-locating system, it could instantly add a lot of low-cost observation drones to Ukraine’s arsenal.
Tuesday, Apr 26, 2022 · 5:08:36 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
Definitely looks like things are leaning toward “blame Ukraine” for the explosions. Russia may be doing this in the homes that Transnistria could do what Belarus never did — open up a “western front” that forces Ukraine to divert forces away from the battle in the east. However, it’s unclear what the supposed 3 battalion tactical groups stationed in Transnistria could actually do. In fact, there have been indications that the “Russian soldiers” there are not Russian’s at all, but Moldovan locations who have been given Russian passports. It’s unclear how willing they would be to enter Ukraine.
Tuesday, Apr 26, 2022 · 5:57:38 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
Russia is continuing that advance south out of Izyum along roads running to the southwest, rather than down the M03 corridor toward Slavyansk.
Updating from the latest reports of which villages have been entered by Russian forces, and which are still being shelled by Russian artillery, the current situation appears to be roughly like this:
Earlier reports had indicated Russia slowly capturing small villages along side roads directly south of Izyum, before being turned back at the tiny crossroads of Pashkove. But the footage above looks to be from Russian forces moving SW along the highway that runs straight down to Barvinkove. Russia may be attempting to bypass towns and villages like Nova Dmytrivka to move quickly toward the highway nexus at Barvinkove.