Is that true? I wonder. Ukraine is supposed to have struck its own airport with a ballistic missile in the opening hours of the war because it had been seized by Russia airborne and special forces. We discussed at the time the way that would redefine the tactical use of airborne to seize airheads (see comments).
It would be nice to see the escalation winding down. The good news is the provision of land mines, which suggests a hardening of the lines that will make it easier to accept the current status quo as a condition of peace. Odd to think of land mines as a humane consideration, but by setting the current boundaries as firm they satisfy Russian demands to keep what they’ve won as a condition of ending their operations. Likewise Ukraine’s concession that Crimea can only be recovered diplomatically, i.e. not at all.
The outgoing government here seems to be trying to tie the hands of the incoming administration, but it’s a dangerous game. I’ll be glad when they run out of time for it.
