Russian Operations in Ukraine: Week 5 Update

Russian operations in Ukraine enter week 5. Despite claims Russia is stalled, frustrated, and without a plan, it appears that Russia is doing precisely in Ukraine what it successfully did in Syria from 2015 onward in the systematic taking of population centers.

I also discuss constant accusations by the West regarding “chemical weapons,” as well as a breakdown on how Russia will approach, encircle, and take population centers, just as it recently did in Mariupol.

References:

US Department of Defense – Senior Defense Official Holds a Background Briefing (March 25, 2022):
https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcri…

TASS – Operation in Ukraine proceeds as planned, first stage goals complete (March 25, 2022):
https://tass.com/politics/1427617

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – Russia Says 1,351 Of Its Soldiers Have Died In Ukraine, Well Below Western Estimates:
https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukrain….

Wall Street Journal – NATO: Up to 40,000 Russian Troops Killed, Wounded, Taken Prisoner or Missing in Ukraine:
https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/russ…

Combating Terrorism Center at West Point – Russia’s Battlefield Success in Syria: Will It Be a Pyrrhic Victory? (2019):
https://ctc.usma.edu/russias-battlefi…

The Harvard Gazette – Russia’s remaining weapons are horrific and confounding:
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor…

The New Atlas – Russia’s Back Isn’t “Against the Wall,” and WON’T use “Chemical Weapons”:
https://youtu.be/HtCOCHeqFmc