#Day of defeat source montage tv#

The move mirrors Russian tactics in Crimea during the last invasion in 2014, during which Putin marched troops across the border after the pro-Moscow government was ousted in a coup.

#Day of defeat source montage tv#

Peskov spoke out as huge TV screens were wheeled into Red Square in anticipation of the address, suggesting a major rally will also be taking place.Īround the screens were digital banners saying: 'Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson - Russia!', in case there was in any doubt about Putin's intention. Putin will make a speech during the event, he added, which will also feature Russian-backed puppet leaders from the occupied regions signing them over to Moscow. Putin's men have been struggling to restore control ever since and, given their position in Lyman, appear to still be struggling.ĭmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, said today: 'Tomorrow in the Georgian Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace a signing ceremony will take place on the incorporation of the new territories into Russia.' It comes off the back of a devastating Ukrainian counter-attack east out of Kharkiv earlier this month that returned thousands of square miles to Kyiv's control and buckled Russia's frontline. Putin maintains that the ultimate goal of his 'special military operation' is the liberation of both Donetsk and Luhansk, and defeats there would make it impossible to spin the war as a success. Taking the town would clear the way for Ukraine to attack into neighbouring Luhansk province - which is almost completely under Russian control. Putin's forces are facing 'imminent defeat' in the town which is a key supply hub for troops in the region, respected think tank Institute for the Study of War said overnight. Lyman, which sits close to the Donets river, is being flanked from northwest and southeast, with Kyiv's troops having cut off all escape routes bar one, according to both Ukrainian sources and pro-Russian military bloggers. A renewed energy crisis, recession, or financial crash could all result if those crucial networks were disrupted, experts and analysts warned. 'It's about sowing doubt, creating just enough fog of uncertainty.'Įuropean leaders are now rushing to shore up defences around their own undersea pipes and data cables, amid fears they are also vulnerable to attack. 'It's all part of the Russian style of political warfare,' Bryan Clark, a former US navy strategic planner now at the Hudson Institute think tank, said. Taken at face value, it seems unlikely that Russia would attack its own multi-billion dollar pipes - but those familiar with Moscow's 'hybrid' style of warfare say it is likely Kremlin mind game to sow uncertainty and a warning to back off Ukraine.

In the absence of facts, conspiracy theories have proliferated. There is little doubt among European diplomats or NATO allies that Russia is responsible, according to reports, but without hard evidence none except Ukraine has ventured to say so out loud. European security officials said it is as-yet unclear whether any of those craft were involved, but say the possibility is being investigated. Heavy early suspicion has fallen on Russia, bolstered today by sightings of Kremlin ships and submarines in and around the area of the blasts over the last week, CNN reports. It means there are now two holes in each pipe, two of which are located in Swedish waters and two in Danish waters, Sweden's coastguard said today.Įmergency crews are continuing to inspect the gas lines ahead of a mission below the waves to try and stop them leaking thousands of tons of gas into the Baltic Sea and work out what exactly happened - though that is unlikely to happen before next week. The newest leak has been located in the Nord Stream 2 pipe, close to a larger hole discovered in Nord Stream 1 a few days ago. A fourth leak has been uncovered in the Nord Stream gas pipes which are thought to have been blown up in an act of Russian sabotage earlier this week.