Ukraine: Arnold Schwarzenegger sends a message to Russia

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Military experts have claimed that the Russian build up of forces in the Black Sea, thought to be preparing to launch an amphibious assault on the port city of Odessa, could be a feint, distracting the Ukrainian army from the real attack. The “critical strategy” will actually involve the Russian military “bypassing” the city of Mykolaiv by heading northwards then eastwards to hit the Ukrainian army near the Russian border, reported The Telegraph.

Putin’s forces are potentially aiming to surround the Ukrainian military and then declare victory, rather than capturing major cities such as Kyiv.

The Ukrainian capital has been bracing for a brutal assault from the Russians, as missiles have rained down over the last three days.

However, there are rumours that Putin’s planned attack on Ukraine is going far worse than he anticipated.

The Ukrainian army has said the Russians outside Kyiv are “bogged down and undersupplied” and their progress has been slow.

Oleksiy Arestovych, advisor to the Head of the President’s Office, said: “In Kyiv there is no Russian offensive or attack at all, and without significant reserves it would be impossible, so they will have to get more troops in from Russia.”

A Western official admitted there was now a level of uncertainty as to how Putin would carry out his invasion.

They said: “There is a question as to whether Moscow now intends to try to assault Kyiv or not.

“To do so, with or without bombardment, it would be very costly for Russia.

“I think we need to wait and see what happens in Kyiv.

“If it’s fully encircled, does Russia try to assault it, strangle it or what is Russia’s intention?”

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In spite of Russia’s superior size and military capabilities, Ukraine have been holding their own on the battlefield and the official believed it was “possible” for them to wear down the Russian army.

Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have so far failed to make much progress, as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken admitted he did not see “any signs” of Putin backing down, according to the Financial Times.

He said on Thursday: “From where I sit, diplomacy obviously requires both sides engaging in good faith to de-escalate.

“And I don’t see signs right now that Putin is prepared to stop.

“The actions that we’re seeing Russia take every single day, virtually every minute of every day, are in total contrast to any serious diplomatic effort to the war.”

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