They're very difficult to track, but you know, who knows? "They've claimed that they've shot down two of these Storm Shadow missiles. Our military analyst Sean Bell says: "When Russia claims these things, we're never sure what what the truth of the matter is. We understand they were first used in Ukraine on 8 May.īut does Russia actually have the capability to shoot them down, and what impact could that have? They are designed to hit static targets that are very deeply fortified, and of high value. Storm Shadows are long-range, air-launched cruise missiles developed by British Aerospace and a French company, which carry a 450kg conventional warhead to a range of up to 200 miles (300km). In the last 24 hours, Moscow has claimed to have shot down two British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles. Russia could also enhance its physical protection measures by fortifying the border, digging trenches, and building fences.Īll of these steps will aim to provide visible signs that Putin is "protecting his people", even though it's his invasion of Ukraine that caused the war, Bell says. The odd tank might be used, Bell says, but the priority for Putin will be the frontline, and he will aim to scare the local population into helping out by providing manpower. He suspects the increased border security will include notional hardware to provide a visible deterrence to any attackers. Ukrainian and anti-government attacks have undermined the sense of Russia's national security, and Putin is keen to demonstrate he is "in charge", he adds. Sky News military analyst Sean Bell says Russia, in reality, needs to focus all its military resources on the upcoming Ukrainian counteroffensive, and Putin is reluctant to order a new wave of mobilisation due to the risk of domestic unrest.īy boosting border security, he is able to frame the war as a threat to Russian national security despite the fact that he initiated the war by invading Ukraine, Bell explains. So what does bolstering security mean, and what could it look like? The Russian president said the move was to ensure "fast" military and civilian movement into Ukrainian regions that were now under Moscow's control.īut the decision has come after an increasing number of attacks inside the country - particularly the border regions of Belgorod and Kursk. Head over to our Turkey blog to read more.Īs we reported earlier, Vladimir Putin has ordered stronger security around Russia's border.
And it may play a role in negotiations to end the war when they finally happen. Turkey's ambivalence has had its uses in this conflict to the West.Īnkara played an important role in brokering the deal allowing for the shipment of Ukrainian grain. He has bought Russian anti-aircraft defence systems causing conniptions across the NATO alliance. He refuses to join western sanctions on Russia. He has talked of his special relationship with Vladimir Putin and the two countries' mutual need for each other. The man who started out advocating his country's membership in the EU is taking Turkey in a different and unpredictable direction.Įrdogan is the Kremlin's choice, the devil Putin has come to know and find useful even if their relations are entirely transactional. What's not to like in the chancelleries of Europe and Washington?Ĭontrast that with Erdogan. With his position apparently strengthening ahead of round two in these elections, there will be almost certainly disappointment in the West.Įrdogan's rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu is not well known outside Turkey but to Western policy makers he had offered a tonic to the friction and frustrations generated by Recep Tayyip Erdogan.Īn accountant and bureaucrat with a reputation as a clean politician and secularist who wants to restore Turkish western relations and trust with NATO allies. His defeat would have been welcomed as a sign of things to come, the humbling of one populist strongman with others perhaps to follow. A hard truth to swallow for his NATO allies who will have been hoping, albeitly privately, for change.Įrdogan's increasingly authoritarian rule, economic eccentricity and waywardness within NATO have all caused deepening alarm among allies. President Erdogan will have been Vladimir Putin's favourite in this election. Here our international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn explains why. While the result could change Turkey's future, it could also have a huge impact on the war in Ukraine. Turkey's current president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has been in power for two decades, and is going up against the opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu. It might sound irrelevant to this blog, but over in Turkey people are heading to the polls to pick their president, and their choice is being closely watched around the world.
0 kommentar(er)
