Is counter-offensive over?

 IS UKRAINE REALIZING THE FUTILITY OF THE SITUATION?

BLOWING UP DAM, NO POSITIVE FOR RUSSIA

The situation in Ukraine today is relatively quite, only advances are being made by Russia in the northern sector. It seems the 3 day Ukrainian offensive has been a decisive failure. While some claim the main offensive is yet to come, it may actually have been the last offensive assault by Ukraine. Will they now prepare for a defensive option to contain any future advances from Russia? Without major air support Ukraine can not conduct a successful offensive operation. While Ukraine has fought bravely and in a more effective way than thought possible, it may now be the end of the line. We will see very soon if Ukraine has any more options, without NATO troop participation, either on the ground and also air support. Of course this would then be WW3 with all the possible consequences.

The blowing up of the dam on the Dnieper river is most likely a desperate move by Ukraine to encourage more support from NATO. There are no positive advantages to Russia to have blown up this dam. Russia had to evacuate their troops south of this dam from their hard built defensive positions. Their troops were at risk and no one knows if there were any casualties from the flooding. In the fall, Russia had evacuated 70, 000 civilians for Kherson and moved their troops to the east side of the river because they had reports that Ukraine was planning to blow up the dam. This dam also provides fresh water to Crimea through a canal that is connected upstream of the dam. This will create another costly and difficult situation for Russia. It appears to have been a tactic by Ukraine to divert attention from their counter-offensive failure.

It is soon going to be crunch time for the U.S. administration and its NATO siblings. With Europe entering economic recession and much of their surplus military equipment liquidated, are they willing to go to a escalated stance to fight Russia in Ukraine? Much of the civilian support for this war has deteriorated in the last year and actual social unrest is a real possibility. 

Even an all out NATO war in Ukraine is not a guaranteed success. It would guarantee death and destruction on scale not seen since WW2. It would devastate the economies of Europe, Russia, United States and much of the western world.  It is not a sane option, but then, who knows, it would not be the first time in history that insane options have been chosen.