Sorry, but it's not "deflection" if you just sit there immobilized for weeks and let the enemy destroy your forces at will; that's called a "slaughter". Very clearly what Putin wanted initially was a brief and violent conflict that would be ended by the ouster of Zelensky and the instatement of someone to his liking. That goal was to be achieved by the Kiev offensive. Russia didn't turn eastwards until well after it became clear that Kiev would not fall. And there is no way in hell that Russia's goal was to somehow only "partially" defeat Ukraine for the purpose of bleeding Europe; this is just too ridiculous an idea to entertain seriously.what if Putin deliberately send forces to Kiev to deflect Ukranian from South. It is completely illogical they want occupy Kiev first.
Russia with smallest force took 20% of Ukranian land and used it basically to cripple the whole Europe economy by not throwing out Ukranian government so that Europe keep supporting those parasites. It is not just financial defeat but Psychological defeat to make them crazy. People get emotionally attached to a prolong cause. you can already see Russia didnot stop Railway from Poland to Kiev.
Russia is supremely confident about its advance tech and economics. Also those weopons and training need to be demonstrated for Arabs. Arabs will need all that hard power for there empire.
No one want to reside in Belarus or Kiev thats why all those upgrades are in South of country and 80% of business in occupied part of Ukraine is from Southern Russia and what will be Crimea without Russian muslims snatching it.
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