UKRAINE could turn the war around in just six weeks with the help of US long-range missiles, military analysts told The Sun.
Today marks 1,000 days of Vlad’s gruelling war in Ukraine that has left more than a million soldiers and civilians dead or wounded.
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Putin’s forces invaded their neighbouring nation in February 2022 as part of the deluded tyrant’s plan to rebuild the Soviet Union amid his paranoid fears over Nato.
Almost three years later, Kyiv’s battle-weary troops are fighting to the death on multiple fronts.
They have faced several setbacks in the grinding conflict as Russia has made slow but incremental gains over Ukrainian territory.
But the green light from the US that now allows Ukraine to use long-range ATACMS missiles could be a game changer, experts said.
With an impressive range of 190 miles, the US-supplied missiles will allow Ukraine to strike deep inside Russian territory – with the aim of cutting off Putin’s war machine.
Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon told The Sun how Ukraine could turn the war around in six weeks when provided with unwavering support from key allies in the West.
The former British army officer said Washington’s decision to allow Ukraine to use ATACMS – and the prospect of Britain’s Storm Shadow missiles joining the war effort – is a “significant development”.
He explained: “The fact that the Russians have been so vehement in their verbal attacks against the use of Nato missiles shows that this is a significant step.
“It could allow Ukraine to gain a good position in [the next] six weeks which will be important for Zelensky if Trump forces a ceasefire after getting back in office.
“The best way to get peace is to get the Russians on the backfoot.”
Ukraine will likely want to gain maximum leverage over Russia before Donald Trump – who could force a ceasefire deal – returns to the Oval Office on January 20.
And ATACMS could allow them to do exactly that.
Dr Alan Mendoza, executive director of the Henry Jackson Society, told The Sun: “Ukraine needs to be in a situation at that negotiating table where it got the maximum leverage.
“Kyiv could then barter away bits of its territory for bits of Russia’s territory, and the aim here is clearly to ensure that Ukraine’s got more things to bargain with at that table.
“And that’s really what this is about.”
Colonel de Bretton-Gordon explained how Zelensky could use the West’s long-range missiles to turn the tide in his favour after 1,000 days of war.
Unconfirmed reports say Ukraine launched its first strike on Russian territory using the missiles overnight on Monday.
Russians are now targets everywhere and that’s going to make a big difference to how the next stage of this war is going to be fought in the Kursk region
Dr Alan Mendoza
He said: “What we know is that ATCAMS are precise and very capable missiles that the Russians seem unable to intercept and shoot down.
“When it comes to air defence capabilities we know that Russian forces at the front, in places like Kursk, are not very well protected.
“This is because Putin has moved a lot of these air defence systems to protect his own palaces and towns and cities in Russia.
“Over the next few weeks, they must get all they need.
“And if there are any Storm Shadow missiles left on the shelves in the UK, I hope they’re on their way to Ukraine at this very moment.”
Ukraine has still not been authorised to strike Russia with British Storm Shadow missiles – but it could follow suit after America’s decision.
British efforts have yet to convince Joe Biden to give the go-ahead for our donated weaponry which requires US tech for guidance.
And German chancellor Olaf Scholz is now under increasing pressure to follow suit and allow Taurus missiles to join Ukraine’s war offensive.
But a furious Putin today warned that he would respond to Western missiles being fired into Russia with nukes in a dangerous escalation of the war.
While this is a major development his latest nuclear sabre rattling, it could be another in a long line of threats that have proven to be empty for the last 1,000 days.
Kursk is one of the most pivotal battlegrounds in the current Russia-Ukraine war scenario, Colonel de Bretton-Gordon said.
The fact that the Russians have been so vehement in their verbal attacks against the use of Nato missiles shows that this is a significant step
Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon
More than 10,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to join Putin’s army – which has faced massive losses in the last three years – in the frontline region.
And if Kyiv can hold Kursk for long enough – at least until Trump gets back to the White House – Ukraine could have an upper hand at the negotiation table in case of a proposed ceasefire deal.
Colonel de Bretton-Gordon said: “Kursk is an absolute dagger to the heart of Putin.
“What is happening in Kursk at the moment is critically important with the Russians massing about 50,000 troops, including 10,000 North Koreans for a counter-attack.
“It shows that Putin is almost throwing all his cards on the table to regain Kursk, which is a vital Russian ground.
“Whoever holds Kursk at Christmas holds vital ground – and could make a huge difference.
“But with Storm Shadows and ATACMS, Ukraine is in a much better position to hold it and perhaps make grounds elsewhere.”
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Russian forces have been slowly pushing Ukraine’s army backwards in the eastern Donetsk region.
And Putin’s troops unleashed a devastating air attack on civilian areas in Ukraine over the weekend.
With the new use of US long-range missiles, Dr Mendoza said Ukraine would try to obliterate the Russian war machine by targeting transport infrastructure and military bases.
He said: “The Russians are now targets everywhere.
“That’s going to make a big difference to how the next stage of this war is going to be fought in the Kursk region.
“We’re talking about knocking out transport infrastructure and targeting forces far away from the front line.
“We’re looking at bases being hit and air power being nullified by the ability to strike the kind of places where the planes are taking off from.
“There’s a whole set of things that directly impact Russia’s ability to supply the front line.
“These are not simply in terms of men, but it might also be in terms of material and supplies, and all the other things.
“You need to keep an army going as well as trying to make a dent in Russia’s fighting capabilities.”
While it is not clear how deep Ukraine will be allowed to attack using the ATACMS missiles, it’s likely Zelensky will aim for strategic targets with the weapons.
This includes Crimea – one of the most strategic and relatively safe locations that the Russians have been using to obliterate Ukraine.
The region is also home to key military infrastructure, including six air bases, command-and-control centres, and an arms depot.
Colonel de Bretton-Gordon said: “Ukraine will try and take out the command and control nodes in regions where they are struggling.
“The airfields in Crimea are also fully in range now that have been supporting Russian attack on Ukraine.
“We may even see the Ukrainians try and drop the Kerch Bridge – although militarily that is not a significant target, politically it would be.
“The key thing is to get on the front foot, and I’m sure that is exactly what Zelensky and his team would be planning.
“They’ve shown to be very canny and very able people at fighting, and [ATACMS] is a key part of the armoury they’ve been asking for.
“Now see them use it to great effect.”
Putin’s quivering puppets have long warned the West the use of the missiles by Ukraine would be seen by the Kremlin as a declaration of war.
The Kremlin’s spokesman made clear Moscow was watching closely after Biden’s decision – warning it would add “fuel to the fire” of the war and escalate tensions even higher.
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Putin puppet Dmitry Peskov referred to Vlad’s earlier statements in St Petersburg when he indicated such a move could trigger a world war.
Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia warned leaders in the West that they “are dragging not just their countries but the entire Europe into large-scale escalation with drastic consequences”.
And a seething Putin has now approved a plan to allow a nuclear response to US missiles being fired into Russia.
Russia has issued countless similar threats in the past – invoking fears of possible nuclear escalation in the West.
While it marks a major development, experts have repeatedly called Putin a paper tiger with “hollow” nuclear threats that are only meant to bully the West.
Colonel de Bretton-Gordon said: “Since day one Putin and his close aides have been threatening a nuclear strike if we escalate it, and today is the 1,000th day of this conflict, and it hasn’t happened.
“It should embolden our leaders, who must now realise that Putin’s threats are completely hollow.
“With the Russian boxer on the ropes, now is the time that we enable the Ukrainians to absolutely put in the killer punch and be in a really good position for the expected ceasefire.”
Since day one Putin and his close aides have been threatening a nuclear strike if we escalate it, and today is the 1,000th day of this conflict, and it hasn’t happened
Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon
Security and politics expert Anthony Glees said Putin has mastered the arts of playing around with words – and has been holding the West for a fool.
He told The Sun: “Putin has held us for fools for far too long and used words and threats to slice by slice take him nearer to where he wants.
“[When Ukraine uses ATACMS] there will be threats from Moscow, but if Putin decides to up the ante, I think we should say to him, even at this late stage, ‘Okay, bring it on. We’re ready for it. We’ve got two months so bring it on’.
“He’s not going to use nuclear weapons because that will destroy his own people.”
Dr Mendoza added: “They’ve got a war to fight. They’re not interested in starting new fronts in that war.”
Experts have repeatedly warned that a Russian victory would spark chaos in Europe.
They now hope greenlighting US long-range missiles could make a difference to the grinding war.
Looking ahead, Colonel de Bretton-Gordon doesn’t foresee the war lasting another 1,000 days.
He said the Russians are facing losses of up to 2,000 troops a day in Kursk and the Donbas – with Putin “clinging on”.
He said: “These are First World War attrition figures, and I think everybody knows, particularly Putin, that he just can’t sustain them.
“I do not see another 1,000 days of fighting. The Russians do not have enough troops, and I don’t think the West doesn’t have enough resources to keep it going.
“Next year will be absolutely pivotal.”
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