January 13, 2023

Why Ukraine May Try to Retake Crimea Next

1 hour 1 minute

Since the start of the Russian invasion last February, it has been a commonly accepted wisdom that Ukraine will not try to retake Crimea - an action that many in the West worry will trigger an escalation - until it has taken back all of the territory lost since February 2022.

In this episode, Dmitri Alperovitch once again talks to Sergii Grabskyi, a Reserve Colonel in the Ukrainian military, who challenges that notion. Sergii makes a compelling case that Ukraine is likely to try to retake Crimea as part of an upcoming new offensive.

Other topics covered in an in-depth conversation about the state of the war:

- Why Ukraine is fighting so hard for Bakhmut despite taking devastating losses there

- Why Kreminna and Svatove are even more important than Bakhmut

- The vital importance of the barely noticed fight at Vulhledar in the South

- Is it possible for Ukrainian forces to cross the Dnipro river

- Why the latest supplies of western Infantry Fighting Vehicles and tanks may not help as much as many think

- How Ukraine is maintaining the Noah's Ark of western weapons donations

- Why Ukraine has not attempted to destroy the North Crimean Canal and the real situation with the water supplies to Crimea

- Why there is only one real general in the Russian military

- Where is Ukraine expecting a new Russian offensive

- Why the stories of Russian forces being unmotivated to fight is largely a myth

- Why Kharkiv remains a key priority for Russia

- Why Ukraine is not worried about a new offensive from Belarus

- and much more

Music: "There beyond the fogs" Ukrainian take on a popular patriotic song from a Russian rock band Lyube, rewritten with lyrics about the explosions in Crimea (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DSAnQrTELQ)

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