01/03/2022
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NEWS ANALYSIS
Slow Progress and Fierce Resistance in Ukraine Could Prompt Brutal Russian Offensive
Experts say Putin’s failure to secure a fast victory could force him to adopt the kind of harsh tactics last seen in Chechnya and Syria.
By Felix Light
5 hours ago
The aftermath of Russian shelling in Kharkiv, Ukraine.SERGEY DOLZHENKO / EPA / TASS
Five days into its invasion of Ukraine, Russia appears to be shifting its tactics in response to unexpectedly ferocious Ukrainian resistance to its forces, analysts told The Moscow Times on Tuesday.
With Western intelligence assessments claiming Russian troops have so far failed to achieve their key objectives, experts suggested that Moscow might instead adopt much more brutal tactics aimed at crushing Ukrainian resistance, similar to previous campaigns in Chechnya and Syria.