Is Putin setting up Kherson for his destructive Grozny and Allepo playbook?

Now that the dust has settled on the mid-term US elections (November 2022), and the red-wave of Republican successes so eagerly anticipated by Putin, his 'siloviki, and his Kremlin clique, has fizzled out, the call for negotiations to be held between Putin and Ukraine's President Zelensky is beginning to gain momentum.

 Steve Benen : MSNBC : Nov. 9, 2022

As reported by BBC News,

"In recent days, Ukraine has signalled a willingness to hold some discussions with Moscow, after President Volodymyr Zelensky dropped a demand that his opposite number, Vladimir Putin, must be removed from power before negotiations could resume." (BBC News : 10 November 2022) (my emphasis) 

As also reported by  Matthew Luxmoore, Laurence Norman, and Marcus Walker,

" Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was open to “genuine peace talks” withRussia, following pressure from Western backers to signal readiness for negotiations amid concerns about the rising cost of the eight-month war ..." (Wall Street Journal : 8 November 2022) (my emphasis)

This signalling for "geniune peace talks" between Putin and Zelensky may have something to do with the publicly stated withdrawal of Putin's troops from Kherson.

As reported by BBC News,

"Gen Sergei Surovikin (left), who was made Russia's commander in Ukraine just weeks ago, announced the withdrawal on Wednesday accompanied by the military top brass on Russian state TV. He confirmed Russian troops would pull back entirely from the western bank of the River Dnipro. " (BBC News : 10 November 2022) (my emphasis)

 CNN : 10 November 2022

But as reported by Samantha Lock (left),

"Ukraine is treating Russia’s declared withdrawal from Kherson with caution until a fuller picture of the situation on the ground becomes clear.

In his national address on Wednesday night, however, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, urged restraint despite “a lot of joy in the media space today”, saying “the enemy does not bring us gifts, does not make ‘gestures of goodwill’. We fight our way up." (The Irish Times : 10 November 2022) (my emphasis)

DW News: YouTube : 10 November 2022

 Zelensky is correct in advising caution and restraint at the announcement of Russian General Sergei Surovikin about Putin's troop withdrawal from Kherson.

As reported by Emma Crabtree (left),

"An advisor to Zelensky’s office, Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted: “Actions speak louder than words. We see no signs that Russia is leaving Kherson without a fight.”

Satellite images have now emerged showing that the Russians have been building trenches and restoring old ones in the northern part of Crimea and in the Kherson Oblast.
.....
The analyst said: “They are building a fortress.”

The news comes just days after relatives of Russian’s who have been drafted into the war said that the troops were being forces to dig trenches with their bare hands." (Express : 10 November 2022) (my emphasis)

We should remind ourselves that 'maskirovka' is deeply ingrained in Russian military philosophy and strategy. (BBC Radio Broadcast 2015.. Please wait for it to load)

 

So are those satellite images of Putin reinforcing his defences in Ukraine's Crimea, and building reinforcements in the Kherson Oblast, a prelude to launching a viscious assault on Ukraine's army once they regain the city of Kherson?

Is Putin and his generals setting up Kherson for what they did to Grozny in Chechnya (1999 - 2000) and Allepo in Syria (2011 - to date)?

 Al Jazeera : 2017 : YouTube

(to be continued)