Ukraine under fire: whose strategy will win out?


In retaliation for the Ukrainian offensive in Kursk, Russia has launched missile and drone attacks on large areas of Ukraine: hundreds of shells fell on 15 regions of the country between Monday and Tuesday. At least five people were killed, several were injured and numerous power facilities were damaged. Commentators analyse the events.


La Stampa (IT) /

Failed retaliation

Moscow cannot chalk up its counterattack as a success, La Stampa explains:

“The Kremlin’s retaliation for the penetration of Ukrainian troops into Russian territory was expected, and loudly invoked by Russian politicians and propagandists. Not only to satisfy public opinion at home, but also to gauge the political and military scale of the Russian response. The result, however, does not seem to elicited much enthusiasm, at least judging by the cautious silence of the Kremlin’s communications chiefs. Of the 127 missiles and 109 drones launched, most — 102 and 99 respectively — were shot down by the Ukrainian air defence.”

Anna Zafesova
L’Humanité (FR) /

A dangerous game

Kyiv may have miscalculated, L’Humanité warns:

“While the Ukrainian plan initially seemed to work rather well, the tactical objective is still far from being achieved – and this has the greatest practical consequences. Not only has Moscow not redeployed its forces, but its offensive in the east is intensifying and Pokrovsk is now on the verge of falling. It seems as if Putin, like Zelensky, is now daring to play a dangerous game: to try to break through the front in the Donbass in order to force the Ukrainian army to regroup and thus end its offensive on Kursk. ... By bombing energy complexes in several regions, Moscow is also clearly signalling that the war will not end before winter.”

Stéphane Sahuc
El Mundo (ES) /

Put Putin in his place

It is in the EU’s interests to have a strong Ukraine, argues El Mundo:

“The war has been raging for two and a half years now, which shows that neither side will be able to achieve absolute victory. This is why both Kyiv and Moscow — whose losses are three times as high as those of Ukraine (500,000 lives according to some sources) are vying for the upper hand in potential talks. Kursk has scuppered Putin’s plans to dictate the terms of peace for the time being. ... A unique opportunity for Kyiv to strengthen its position in favour of a just peace that would prevent Putin from launching imperialist aggression within the EU’s borders in the future. This is a genuine threat for which the EU must brace itself.”

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