It is not just in Kharkov oblast in the far North East of Ukraine where Russia is advancing. Across the front line only one side is going forward and that side is Russia. Advances are not big but they are steady, day by day, village or part of village by village, the Russians are moving West. Next up, I suspect is the battle for Chasov Yar, the next big town to the west of “fortress” Bakhmut, where Russian troops are advancing pincer like on two fronts and where battles in the outskirts, the “Canal District” are now underway. Yet the western media is in denial as its past lies catch up with it.
In 2022 we were told by the media, with the BBC at the forefront, that Ukraine would win as long as it got vast amounts of money and weapons to support its valiant troops like the Ghost of Kiev ( who turned out not to exist). Then came the great “counter offensive” of 2023 where again, just another vast amounts of cash would ensure success for the brave Ukrainians. But there was no success. Russian defences almost all held. As they waded through miles and miles of minefields and tank traps the Ukrainians suffered horrific casualties and from late last summer Russia started advancing. “Fortress” Avdivka, which Ukraine had spent $2 billion of Western cash fortifying, fell as have countless villages and Russia now controls more of Ukraine than at any point in this awful war which, I am forced to state, I do not support.
So how does the BBC report the recent advances made near Kharkov. Amazingly Radio 4 has just told me that the war has “quickly” turned against Ukraine. Yes, the pretence there is that until just recently Ukraine was winning thanks to all that Western aid. Clearly that is a lie. So, what do our leaders tell us? They pretend this is a recent reversal caused by a lack of sufficient arms and cash which can easily be reversed with just another big cheque.
As for Kharkov the insistence is from the BBC ( Radio 4 World at One) is that this is just another sign that President Putin wants to control as much of Ukraine as possible. That might be true. But it might not be. As I have noted many times, most recently here, it would be very odd for Russia to want to run the Ukrainian speaking parts of Ukraine as a hostile and loathed occupier.
Russia says that it has pushed into Kharkov to establish a buffer zone because the Ukrainians have been firing (Western) missiles into civilian occupied places over the border such as the City of Belgorod. That this has been happening is not in doubt although Western media is loathe to report it.
It may be that all Russia really wants is to create a buffer zone to protect its civilians. Or it could be trying to suck in Ukrainian reserves so that, with its vastly larger numbers of boots on the ground, it will face weaker opposition at Chasov Yar or at other hotspots on the main front. If so that tactic seems to have succeeded. Or it could be that Russia wants to drive on to Ukraine’s second City. I do not know but the BBC reports that its option 3 as a proven fact.
On the ground the well-armed Russian troops did indeed make quick advances in Kharkov across a broad front. This might surprise you if you believed the western press telling you just last year that Russian soldiers did not even have guns and were having to fight with shared and antiquated rifles or even shovels. Do you remember being spoon fed that lie which was used to push the line “just another squillion bucks of Western taxpayer cash needed for victory. Slava Ukraini!”
Those advances are all the more surprising given that vast amounts of Western cash was earmarked for defensive works to be built in what now appear to be open and undefended fields. Where exactly did that cash all go?
At what point will you tire of being lied to about what is happening in Ukraine?