London, 7 Dec 2022 – The show-off propaganda of Putin driving a Mercedes on the Bridge hit by Ukraine forces demonstrates that the Kremlin is starting to consider seriously the risk Crimea’s forced destiny as part of Russia might be short lived.
After last 8 October historic blow to the symbolic link between Russia and Crimea, the regime in Moscow had to reinforce the nationalist stance of a Russian Crimea in its phase of huge losses on the battlefield and of declining consensus at home where the regime is now forced to send even 300K women to the Ukrainian front to mitigate the debacle.
Kiev has already sent a warning advice to Crimea residents who hold Russian nationality that they will not be considered legal residents: in the coming weeks this might be explained with other means. In the Simferopol area already started fortifications; Russian state agency Tass reported that “Crimean authorities are controlling fortification works on the peninsula to enhance the security of its residents”
Further to Kherson’s victory, Ukrainian army is pushing back Russians in the southern area towards Melitopol in order to reach Berdyansk and from there keeping Crimea under control from the strategic coastal city on the Sea of Azov ‘a la distance’, maybe without even physically entering Crimean territory.
Talkeurope.org 