When on October 8 an attack was carried out against Russia’s Crimea Bridge it was for Moscow a red line crossed. It could not go without consequences. Although President Zelensky and Washington denied responsibility it didn’t wash with the sorely provoked Russians.

Previously, the Russian armed forces had limited their operations to the Eastern zones of conflict and infrequent surgical removal of arms caches and infrastructure vital to the shipment of NATO arms. Otherwise, life in Kyiv and the cities of central and Western Ukraine went on as normal. 

The attack on the Crimea Bridge was a bridge too far. With immediate effect, the Russian side expanded its operations against Ukraine’s entire vital infrastructure.

As an aside, when targets were hit just a bus ride distant from the Polish frontiers 20 per cent of Poland’s citizens decided that moving out of Poland might be a good idea. In neighbouring Belarus (White Russia) there is increased military activity to counter expansionist threats coming from NATO and Kyiv. According to Nicolas Sarkozy ex-President of France, “the EU is dancing on edge of a volcano.”

When historians debate this turning point there will be more than a passing mention of General Sergei Surovikin who was immediately appointed commander of the grouping of troops in the special military operation zone.

Dubbed by troops under his command as General Armageddon the commander made his point: “For the enemies of Russia breakfast doesn’t start with coffee.”

General Surovikin wants no truck with the war of attrition taking place on the borders of the disputed regions. “I am not willing to sacrifice more Russian soldiers in a guerrilla war against fanatical hordes armed with NATO weapons. We have the power and the technological means to bring Ukraine to complete surrender.”

The no-nonsense general added that the mercenaries sent and paid for by NATO “will have to stay here forever.”

Unable to counter Russia’s superiority in arms and its highly trained army’s professionalism Kyiv has added assassination, terrorism, and sabotage to its war of attrition. Zelensky demands that the West underwrites the Ukrainian basket case economy.

Remarkably, whereas on the one hand NATO and Kyiv are uncaring of the loss of Ukrainian and foreign mercenaries fed into the Eastern Front meat grinder, General Surovikin is passionate about saving the lives of his Ukrainian kinfolk. 

“The enemy is a criminal regime that pushes the citizens of Ukraine to death. Ukrainians and I are one people and we want the same thing, that Ukraine is independent of the West and NATO, a friendly state for Russia.”

Blooded with distinction in Syria Surovikin set out to decimate the opposing forces and to remove infrastructure vital to the re-supply of Kyiv’s largely ill-trained conscripted armies. Living up to his moniker perhaps, General Armageddon reported that Kyiv’s daily losses range from 600 to 1,000 people killed and wounded. 

“We have a different strategy. We protect each soldier and methodically grind the enemy. This not only minimizes our losses but also significantly reduces the number of civilian casualties.”

Unlucky Ukraine was selected as a battering ram against Russia because it isn’t a NATO member. Had a NATO member state been used this would have meant a unified response from the 30 member states of NATO which was neither wanted nor likely.

The governments of many NATO member states are less popular than the regimes of the former Soviet Bloc. They are in no position to counter domestic uprisings let alone confront Russia. A number of EU states have a population less than that of an American city.

Washington and NATO are wary of being directly involved. This would put at grave risk both US and EU territories. Western strategy to weaken Russia with positive consequences to the US or the EU is delusional.

Kyiv and NATO have little time to draw a line under the arms and energy-sapping conflict. Time is on Russia’s side. This underscores the Western alliance’s increasing frustration and desperation for an ever-elusive victory. Napoleon Bonaparte and Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler were both defeated by Russia’s General Winter.

Of course, Washington and Brussels talk things up. But it is the hapless citizens of the sinking Western alliance who are under a siege not of their making. There is increasing disbelief in the effectiveness of sanctions and the wisdom of draining Western arsenals.

Scepticism manifests itself in blowback from a failed sanctions policy that disastrously backfired. Western media tries to keep a lid on news of protests and massive strikes sweeping across Western Europe and the UK. Censorship of growing unrest backfires as the uncontrolled internet and social media make a mockery of mainstream media’s censorship and pro-government spin. Meanwhile, the de-industrialization of Europe appears as unstoppable as the conflict itself.

And for what outcome? The denial of Crimea as a NATO base followed by the loss of Donbas one-third the size of Germany was yet another death blow to NATO’s credibility.

Will a victory march take place in Red Square this side of Christmas? This is unlikely. The Russians will take no pleasure in celebrating a victory with the senseless loss of lives in a NATO-fueled brothers’ war. ~ Mícheál Walsh’