Putin’s weakness is beginning to appear…a report by The Telegraph reveals

The British newspaper “The Telegraph” reported that “Russian President Vladimir Putin has set many red lines. In a speech in 2021, he said: “I hope that no one will think about crossing the red line with Russia… We will determine the red line based on each case.” One of those red lines was the use of American weapons to attack inside Russian territory, as Dmitry Medvedev threatened to arm US opponents in “unnamed areas” in response. By violating this red line with the support of the United States, Ukraine gained a significant tactical advantage.”

According to the newspaper, “The area that the United States allowed to be targeted is limited, but it significantly reduced Russia’s terrestrial sanctuary by up to 16%.” Ukraine may now strike military targets within range of US-supplied HIMARS missiles in Russia’s Belgorod, Kursk and Bryansk regions. Although most of Russia’s rear areas are still protected from HIMARS fire by US President Joe Biden’s red line, initial reports indicate that Ukraine has already struck Russian air defense systems within these areas. “Along with other efforts, it has brought about a tangible shift in the balance of power.”

The newspaper continued: “One fighter jet may seem like a small loss, but the SU-57 is Russia’s latest technological development in the major modernization of its armed forces since the end of the Cold War.” The loss of a heavy fighter is a clear blow to Russia’s combat capability, but it is also a clear message to Russia: their rear areas are no longer safe. Russia will now have to bolster air defenses in these areas to protect against subsequent strikes, potentially taking vital capacity away from the Ukrainian front lines just as NATO countries have announced a lift in Ukrainian air capacity, with the Dutch sending F-16s, and France sending Mirage 2000 fighters. Ukraine is looking to acquire Gripen aircraft from Sweden.

The newspaper added, “In a war where both sides face resource constraints, these chess moves are how breakthroughs are made, and the Kremlin cannot afford the further embarrassment of losing more assets.” They will either be defended, meaning assets will have to be moved from elsewhere, or they will have to be moved far beyond the range of drones or HIMARS. This is a positive thing for Ukraine, and is an additional humiliation for Putin after the Kharkiv attack stopped. “Despite the thousands of Russian casualties, and the high cost of the equipment, the White House national security spokesman on Friday was confident enough to declare that the attack had stopped and was unlikely to advance any further.”

The newspaper concluded: “By allowing this “red line” to be violated without any escalation or retaliation, Putin demonstrated his weakness. “While Ukraine would like to be able to do more, the ability to strike inside Russia gives it a significant tactical advantage that it has demonstrated a willingness to exploit to its fullest extent.”