Ben Wallace gave a grim prediction of Russian tactics in Ukraine today warning that the war is about to ‘get worse’.
The Defence Secretary highlighted Moscow’s military ‘doctrine’ as he said Vladimir Putin’s forces are likely to surround cities and ‘bombard indiscriminately’ – before seizing ‘what’s left’.
However, he painted the invasion so far as a shambles despite the overwhelming numbers, with inexperienced troops crumbling in the face of stronger-than-anticipated Ukrainian resistance. Mr Wallace said that Putin would face ‘years’ of struggle even if he manages to occupy territory.
The assessment came as fierce fighting continued in Ukraine on the seventh day of the invasion.
Russian paratroopers were dropped in to Kharkiv and attacked a military hospital before airstrikes targeting police, state agencies and the security service.
Part of Karazin National University has been on fire after a missile – seemingly intended for the neighbouring police headquarters or interior ministry – struck the college’s sociology department instead.
The smoking ruins of a gym following shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, today
Ben Wallace highlighted Moscow’s military ‘doctrine’ as he said Vladimir Putin’s forces are likely to surround cities and ‘bombard indiscriminately’ – before seizing ‘what’s left’
At least 21 people have been killed an 112 wounded in shelling on Kharkiv in the last 24 hours, governor Oleg Synegubov said.
The city of Konotop, 150 miles to the north of Kharkiv, was sent an ultimatum by Russian forces surrounding it on Wednesday – surrender or be destroyed by artillery – as Putin’s men resort to siege tactics.
Putin’s forces also claimed to have captured Kherson, a major industrial centre in the south, overnight although this was denied by the local mayor.
In Zhytomyr, a city to the west of Kyiv, airstrikes hit the headquarters of the 95th Ukrainian armed forces brigade while also damaging a hospital, leaving two people dead. The city of Bila Tserkva, some 50 miles south of Kyiv, was also hit overnight.
In a round of interviews, Mr Wallace said Russian forces could lay siege to Ukraine’s major cities.
‘That’s one of the Russian doctrines, which is effectively surround a city, bombard it indiscriminately and then eventually close in on a population that they hope to have broken, and indeed take over what’s left of the city,’ he told BBC Breakfast.
‘We’ve seen that in Chechnya before.
‘The problem with that is Ukraine is a very, very large country, it is the size of France and Germany put together, it has a population of 44 million.’
Mr Wallace warned that an occupying force would face the kind of insurgency faced by the Soviets in Afghanistan or the West in Iraq.
Mr Wallace said that Putin (pictured) would face ‘years’ of struggle even if he manages to occupy territory
‘Invading a country with overwhelming force is one thing, occupying a people of 44 million who don’t want you in it is a very different thing.’
Mr Wallace told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that he thought Russian forces would ‘ruthlessly pummel’ cities.
‘What you have seen is the Russian pause on the outskirts and then ruthlessly pummel these cities with artillery and then hope to break the city,’ he said.
However, he said Russia would face ‘years of resistance’ if it sought to occupy Ukraine.
Mr Wallace said Moscow’s troops had been deceived by their leaders and were low on supplies and food due to logistical failures.
‘We have definitely seen cases of very quick surrenders by Russian forces, we have seen lots of abandonment of incredible pieces of equipment,’ he said.
‘That is what happens when your military leaders don’t prepare you, lie to you or deceive you and also you base a military plan based on an arrogant assumption that you are the liberator.’
He rejected a suggestion that Russian deserters should be offered asylum in the West, saying: ‘I take the view that the best thing that Russian deserters can do is go back to Russia, tell the Russian people they are being deceived, tell the Russian people that their military leaders are causing huge amounts of unnecessary suffering and losses because of either incompetence or arrogance, and they can go back and tell the mothers, who are wondering where their thousands of disappeared sons are.’
