The occupiers probably captured Orlivka - Julian Röpke

The occupiers probably captured Orlivka - Julian Röpke

The Russian army has probably captured Orlivka in the Avdiivka sector, Bild military analyst Julian Röpkesays, citing the "Ukrainian side" (Ukraine has not confirmed this, while Syrskyi said yesterday that there was fighting for Orlivka).

Röpke publishes a video claiming that it shows that the village is under Russian control.

Analysing the situation after the capture of Avdiivka, Röpke states that "the West is now losing in Ukraine".

According to his assessment, Russia is demonstrating "a real battle of all-out warfare", with aircraft, tanks, drones and artillery effectively interacting.

He states that "Ukrainians have no chance" because of Russian 500kg bombs. They are destroying the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces along with the soldiers. The current concentration of Russian aircraft and air strikes is "unprecedented".

"If we do not quickly change (radically improve) the quality and quantity of weapons, the country will bleed for many years and lose territory until Russia recognises its geostrategic goals as fulfilled," Röpke writes.

He believes that Ukraine should consider "whether it wants to continue defending (and losing) frontline positions" with Russia’s significant advantage in soldiers and equipment.

In his opinion, an alternative would be "real" mobilisation and "at least a threefold increase in the number of active soldiers at the front". But this only makes sense if the recruits can be armed.

He suggests dismissing talk of Russia being on the verge of material and technical collapse as "propaganda" or "wishful thinking".