Prime Only Members-Only Article

Keep An Eye on This

RUSSIANS INVADE UKRAINE -- MARCH 18, 2022:  15 Maxar satellite imagery closer view of troops and equipment in Dublin, Belarus.  18march2022_ge1.  Please use: Satellite image (c) 2022 Maxar Technologies.
RUSSIANS INVADE UKRAINE -- MARCH 18, 2022: 15 Maxar satellite imagery closer view of troops and equipment in Dublin, Belarus. 18march2022_ge1. Please use: Satellite image (c) 2022 Maxar Technologies.
|
March 23, 2022 12:47 p.m.
THE BACKCHANNEL
FREE EDITION
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.
NEW!
A FREE email newsletter from Josh Marshall An email newsletter from Josh Marshall

I don’t want to get too deep into particular reports. But both Ukrainian government sources in Kyiv as well as reporters on the ground in contested areas are reporting that the Ukrainian Army is having some success reclaiming territory around Kyiv over the last 24 to 48 hours. (Peruse my Ukraine Crisis and Military Analysts lists to get more granular details.) I wouldn’t put too much into these reports as yet since both propaganda and the fog of war make our visibility blurry at best. (I find it impossible to know what to make of claims like this, for instance.) And even the reported gains are fairly small. But this does seem to be happening. And it matches reports of real though not game-changing counteroffensives and reclaiming of territory in other parts of the country. There’s been an assumption that these fronts are basically stalemated or that the Ukrainian Army’s size and armament is really suited only to defensive operations. But it’s not clear that is the case.

TPM's Annual Membership Drive
25% Off All Memberships

Real Independence
Made Possible By Members

FREE community-supported memberships are available to students and those experiencing financial hardship

Most Popular
Prime
$60/yr
$45/yr
25% off!
$60/yr
$30/yr
50% off!
Access to Member-Exclusives and Fewer Ads
Get Prime

    Also Includes:

  • The Hive Member Forum
  • Members-Only Newsletter
  • RSS Feeds
  • Commenting
Prime
$5.99/mo
$4.49/mo
25% off!
$5.99/mo
$2.99/mo
50% off!
Access to Member-Exclusives and Fewer Ads
Get Prime

    Also Includes:

  • The Hive Member Forum
  • Members-Only Newsletter
  • RSS Feeds
  • Commenting
Prime Ad Free
$120/yr
$90/yr
25% off!
$120/yr
$60/yr
50% off!
Access to Member-Exclusives and NO Ads
Get Prime AF

    Also Includes:

  • The Hive Member Forum
  • Members-Only Newsletter
  • RSS Feeds
  • Commenting
Prime Ad Free
$11.99/mo
$8.99/mo
25% off!
$11.99/mo
$5.99/mo
50% off!
Access to Member-Exclusives and NO Ads
Get Prime AF

    Also Includes:

  • The Hive Member Forum
  • Members-Only Newsletter
  • RSS Feeds
  • Commenting
Annual Plans
Monthly Plans

More Membership Options

Student (free with .edu email) CREATE STUDENT ACCOUNT Community-Supported (free all-access membership) APPLY NOW TPM Inside LEARN MORE
CONTACT FAQ
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: