"Transferring the Battle to the Aggressor's Territory".. Where is the Russian-Ukrainian Escalation Heading?

SadaNews - The Russian-Ukrainian front has witnessed a military escalation described as the most intense in four years, following the end of the three-day truce between the two sides last Tuesday.

This extensive field explosion came after intense Russian attacks, followed by a concentrated Ukrainian response with drones at night, quickly dispelling the brief hours of respite and hopes for peace among civilians and fighters on both sides.

Between "Provocation" and "Retribution"

In his view, Russian political analyst Ronald Bejamov attributed the return to broad escalation to Kyiv's violation of the truce by targeting Belgorod and Kursk regions in advance.

Bejamov, speaking during the program "Beyond the News", discussed the details of the intensive Ukrainian attack, confirming the participation of more than 1,100 drones, cruise missiles, and others of the "Flamingo" type, which resulted in the death of four civilians and an Indian citizen in Moscow province, as well as targeting a semiconductor factory that Russia considers a civilian facility.

He justified the Russian strikes with "Kinzhal" and "Iskander" missiles on Kyiv as inevitable retribution, pointing out that President Vladimir Putin has the will to negotiate with Europe, while the Kyiv regime resorts to escalation for the purpose of provocation and masking the crises and internal Ukrainian agenda, represented by issues of corruption and the resignation of the head of the presidential office, Andriy Yermak.

"Transferring the Battle"

On the other hand, former Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Oleksiy Melnyk attributed the renewed fighting to the absence of a mediator or clear international mechanisms to monitor and regulate the ceasefire, blaming the Russian side, and reminding that Ukraine showed goodwill by not shelling during the Russian "Victory Day" parade.

Melnyk emphasized that Ukrainian strikes represent a legitimate international right to self-defense aimed at conveying a message to the Russians that they will not be safe and the battle will be transferred to their territory.

Regarding the American dimension, Melnyk clarified that Kyiv is not moving based on President Donald Trump's statements calling for punishing Moscow, but has begun to ignore his previous advice and restrictions.

He also denied Kyiv's responsibility for raising global energy prices above $100, attributing that to the Israeli-American war on Iran, expressing his belief that the war is nearing its final stages due to the exhaustion of both sides, despite Russia beginning its fourth offensive campaign.

Ukrainian Exploitation

In the context of battlefield military analysis, editor-in-chief of the Swiss military magazine Alexander Futralver sees that the "Victory Day" parade allowed Ukrainians to observe and strike Russian forces during their reformation and transfer of weapons, taking advantage of the depletion of missiles in Russian air defense systems that have begun to run out.

Futralver noted a significant transformation that gave Kyiv an advantage, as it moved from complete reliance on Western weapons to relying on producing its own weapons locally and intensively, such as long-range drones and cruise missiles, enabling it to accurately strike logistical and military infrastructures deep inside Russia.

He warned of the "opacity of negotiations", confirming that halting fighting now without agreed terms would merely constitute a "temporary freezing" of the conflict, which could reignite at any upcoming stage.

Military confrontations between the two sides have continued for over four years, with Russia regularly launching missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities, and Ukraine responding by targeting sites deep within Russia.

Source: Al Jazeera