Russia's Chief of General Staff announces explosive autumn offensive!

Russia's Chief of General Staff announces explosive autumn offensive!

Russia's Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov has announced a new autumn offensive in Ukraine. Despite international calls for negotiations, Russia continues its war of aggression with changed goals. The Ukrainian armed forces have achieved success in the contested regions of Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk by pushing back Russian troops and even encircling them in certain areas. Gerasimov reports continuous attacks along the front line, but nevertheless sets strategic tasks for the coming autumn period. He states that 99.7 percent of Ukraine's Luhansk Oblast, 79 percent of Donetsk Oblast, 76 percent of Kherson Oblast and 74 percent of Zaporizhia Oblast are under Russian control. However, these figures cannot be independently verified.

The Russian leadership is calling for the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Donetsk for a ceasefire, but President Volodymyr Zelensky rejects this. Zelensky considers the cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk to be important defensive bastions while Russia threatens to conquer them. Russian delegate Kirill Dmitriyev has accused the Europeans of prolonging the conflict by making impossible demands. At the same time, Russia criticizes the EU for the planned deployment of troops to secure potential peace and speaks out against representatives from NATO countries. European countries, in turn, accuse Russia of using tactics aimed solely at buying time for new military attacks.

International reactions and sanctions

Chancellor Friedrich Merz also commented on the situation and emphasized that Russia will only give up the war if it is no longer able to wage it economically and militarily. He highlights Russia's more aggressive approach against Ukrainian civilians and calls for increased sanctions against the country that invaded Ukraine in 2022. Merz praises the unity of Europeans regarding the conflict and sees Germany in a leadership position to achieve unity on issues of war and peace.

At the same time, the EU has decided on several packages of sanctions, which include, among other things, import and export bans and the exclusion of Russian banks from the Swift system. The latest, 16th package of measures is intended to increase pressure on President Vladimir Putin. Despite the embargo, Russia continues to sell oil, coal and gas, mainly to China and India. Last year, Russia reportedly delivered more liquefied natural gas to Europe than ever before, generating revenue of eight billion euros. These additional funds will no longer flow into the National Welfare Fund, but will immediately be used for military upgrades.

Economic developments and challenges

The economic situation in Russia is influenced by various factors. Although the Russian economy is currently growing by three percent, this is not reflected in the prosperity of the population. Spending in areas such as social welfare, education and health is falling due to the growing military budget. Forecasts show modest economic growth of 1.35 percent this year, with stagnation until 2029. Companies are also struggling to find workers, partly due to changes caused by the war.

Rising prices and inflation of 9.9 percent in January 2025 are leading to a tense economic situation. Financial sanctions are affecting Russia's ability to borrow money on the international market and are exacerbating the crisis situation. In this context, China plays a central role as it is mentioned as the main trading center for Western semiconductors and high technology. Meanwhile, the prospect of a return to previous relations between Russia and Europe remains unlikely.