The general military aim of the pro-Russian rebels operating in eastern Ukraine at this point appears to draw Russia more overtly into the conflict, either through a forceful intervention by Moscows armed forces or under the aegis of a peacekeeping mission of some kind. As such it is likely that part of the strategic calculus behind the rebels withdrawal is the goal of concentrating their forces around Donetsk and Luhansk in order to create either a protracted siege of those cities, or to significantly increase the scale of fighting seen so far; either of which could result in heavy civilian casualties and prompt Russian intervention.
Posted on: Mon, 14 Jul 2014 14:39:19 +0000
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