As the Ukrainian Army Faces Total Rout, the Oligarchs in Kiev are at Each Other's Throats

• The approximately 7000 Ukrainian troops, encircled in the south-east, have received a helping hand, from Moscow, that they never would have expected. While Kiev has ignored calls for restraint from family members; Putin has asked the Resistance to create a humanitarian corridor for the troops. The only condition is the abandon of military equipment. Many battalions have already accepted, others resist.

• Lugansk airport has been deserted by all the Ukrainian forces and is now in control of the rebels.

• Mariopul is surrounded and cut off from any kind of supplies for the Ukrainian troops. This situation, like the southern encirclement, could be a strong psychological factor to pressure the government in Kiev.

Rather than face the bloodbath of Mariopul, the Resistance is trying to accomplish a political goal. The idea is to conquer Berdyansk and the region of Zaporozhye, because it is ruled like a personal fiefdom by Kolomoisky.  Losing it will allow the wolves in Kiev to smell blood.  Then the Resistance can sit back and let the oligarchs in Kiev devour each other.

It should be remembered that while the militia expands north and west of Mariopul it is more exposed to risks from the regular forces of Kiev. If Berdyansk were to fall, that would be an important challenge that could have unpredictable consequences, especially for punitive battalions led by Kolomoisky.