This is not the time to withdraw troops from Europe

On May 19, the Russian Defense Ministry announced the commencement of a major exercise consisting of 64,000 personnel and 7,800 units, “including more than 200 missile launchers, more than 140 aircraft, 73 surface ships and 13 submarines, including 8 strategic missile submarines.” The ministry added that “during the exercise, the issues of joint training and use of nuclear weapons deployed on the territory of the Republic of Belarus will be worked out.” 

The announcement caught observers by surprise. Neither the defense nor the foreign ministry had provided forewarning of the impending exercise as has usually been the case. And this exercise was the largest in years.

The exercise included the dual capable Oreshnik intermediate range ballistic missile that Russia deployed to Belarus for the first time last year.

Three days after the exercise ended, Russia fired a non-nuclear Oreshnik that hit the Ukrainian city of Bila Tserkva near Kyiv. The missile was part of a massive attack that included 600 strike drones and 90 missiles launched from air, sea and land.

It was the third time during the war that Russia had fired an Oreshnik at Ukraine and the first time since January.

The timing of the exercise and the attack is unlikely to have been coincidental. Both were almost certainly intended to send not only a message to Ukraine, but also to NATO, that Moscow has no intention of backing away from its wartime objectives.

Nevertheless, while Putin may not be losing his war in Ukraine, he is certainly not winning........

© The Hill