While there are ample signs of escalation, there are also signs of diplomacy – though their sincerity remains in question.
As Zelensky puts it, Russia’s non-stop drone waves have continued unabated, with Kyiv and Odesa among the main targets. Kyiv has also fought back in earnest by hitting the Moscow region and Sochi, with the Russian general responsible for bombing Ukraine’s Okhmatdyt children’s hospital reportedly shot.
But both sides also signal some progress in resolving the war – Ukraine’s foreign minister has teased new talks, while Putin again rebuffed reports of a looming mobilization, weeks before the Duma elections, and said Kyiv and Moscow need to reach a deal without saying how, all the while tacitly admitting that Russia was unprepared for Ukraine’s refinery strikes as the energy crisis in Crimea worsens.
But before the guns stop firing, it’s probably best not to keep our hopes up.
Regarding the infamous SBU-HUR shootout yesterday, Zelensky has condemned the whole fiasco and sacked an SBU official, who may or may not be tied to it; Both agencies now also offer entirely different versions of events – the SBU is now alleging a Russian assassination plot, while HUR called it a cover-up after an illegal abduction of their own men. A classic Ukrainian Rashomon.
By Leo Chiu
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten