It’s a complicated story, according to BNR foreign commentator Bernard Hammelburg. “Those troops had to come back after Ukraine advanced there, and a withdrawal is also part of military operations,” he says. “According to British intelligence, he executed that withdrawal very well. He is therefore considered a good organizer in cold blood ».
However, Hammelburg says. He wears two hats. «On the one hand he is part of the General Staff, on the other he occupies a high rank in the Air Force. It is unclear whether he will lose those functions as well,” Hammelburg said. “He May be he stays in the Air Force, but he has to leave his staff post.”
Great cleaning
According to Hammelburg, Russians — just like Ukrainians — are also doing a big cleanup. “But, according to most experts, this has to do with the preparation for the spring offensive, which is always about,” he concludes. “They’re trying to make sure the offensive is manned by the best people.”
What the exact offensive will look like, and whether it will take place, is not yet known, but for a solid chance Ukraine needs to be equipped with the much-discussed Leopard 2 tanks, several experts conclude.