Russia’s “Civil War” Evaporates as Ukraine’s Offensive Enters Week 4

Update on the conflict in Ukraine for June 25, 2023:

– Ukraine’s offensive enters its 4th week with the line of contact relatively unchanged and having suffered immense losses;

– Western governments and commentators have been increasingly calling for more “wonder weapons” and even Western military intervention as prospects dim for Ukraine;

– The Wagner mutiny in Rostov, southern Russia was an ill-conceived gamble by Wagner’s figurehead Yevgeny Prigozhin;

– The crisis resolved itself within 24 hours with Prigozhin’s exile to Belarus and Wagner forces being fully integrated into the Russian military;

– Ukraine’s offensive potential persists, however, amid a war of attrition, territorial gains at the cost of men and machines brings Ukraine closer to defeat, not victory;

References:

Ukraine’s Offensive Wall Street Journal – A Wall of Steel’: Ukrainian Troops Face Hard Slog in Offensive’s First Days (June 10, 2023):
https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukraine-…

TASS – Ukrainian troops understand they don’t stand a chance against Russian forces — Putin (June 21, 2023):
https://tass.com/politics/1636127

CNN – West to deliver 321 tanks to Ukraine, says diplomat (January 2023):
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/27/wo…

BBC – Ukraine war: Zelensky admits slow progress but says offensive is not a movie:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe…

CNN – Ukrainian pilots plead for F-16s as they battle Russian air superiority (June 21, 2023):
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/21/eu…

Politico – U.S.-trained Ukrainian pilot who died in combat had been eager to get back into the fight (June 15, 2023):
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/06…

Wagner Incident

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – Russian Military Reportedly Fires On Wagner Forces On Road To Moscow As Armed Insurrection Spreads:
https://www.rferl.org/a/wagner-prigoz…

TASS – Russia will defend itself from internal treachery, says Putin:
https://tass.com/russia/1637627

The Atlantic – Russia Slides Into Civil War:
https://www.theatlantic.com/internati…

Reuters – Rebel Russian mercenaries turn back short of Moscow ‘to avoid bloodshed’:
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/…

Al Jazeera – China’s Xi makes first public appearance after ‘coup’ rumours (2022):
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/9…

CSCE – Decolonizing Russia:
https://www.csce.gov/international-im…

CSCE – About:
https://www.csce.gov/about-commission…

Foreign Policy – The West Is Preparing for Russia’s Disintegration (April 2023):
https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/04/17/…

Reportify Media – BREAKING LIVE : Russia Under Attack | Live Coverage Wagner:
https://www.youtube.com/live/Tzlr6Wyi…