Izyum withdrawal. Escalation & psychological impact. Baerbock surprise visit to Kiev. (Alex Christoforou)

There will be a significant Russian counter strike. This is either a huge Russian trap or the Russian side got lax in its defense of the region. It does look like the Russian Army underestimated the Ukrainians here and that the Ukrainians poured in forces to keep up the momentum of this break through. The biggest issue is that the Russian troops in the area have not really committed to battle. They largely withdrew. This single fact does not bode well for the attackers.   

[Posted at the SpookyWeather2 blog, September 12, 2022.]