re: Latest Updates: Russia-Ukraine Conflict

quote:

---

Not sure how you can agree to any ceasefire if you are Ukraine while Putin is in power. All that will do is allow him to restock and attack at some other time. He's already shown his cards.

---

quote:

---

A direct result of the war has been the increased and emboldened Russian military presence in both South Ossetia and Abkhazia. While Russian armed forces were present in both regions before the outbreak of the war, in the capacity of peacekeeping forces since the civil wars in the 1990s, this was limited to 500 servicemen in South Ossetia (JPKF) and 1,600 in Abkhazia (CISPKF),[262] with the latter being expanded to over 2,000 in the months leading to the 2008 war.[263] With these mechanisms becoming obsolete after the 2008 war, the Russian recognition of the independence of both regions was a prerequisite to legitimise the post-war stay of Russian armed forces with the conclusion of "bilateral" military cooperation and integration agreements with the newly recognised "states".[264]

From 2009 onwards, the Russian Federation expanded existing military infrastructure in both regions. First the 4th Guards Military Base in South Ossetia[265] and the 7th Military Base in Abkhazia were established, formalised in an agreement valid for 49 years.[266] Then, Russia started the construction of border guard bases under the command of the Russian FSB Border Guard Service to demarcate and "protect the state border" of both South Ossetia and Abkhazia. In total more than 30 of these so called "militarized border guard bases"[267] have been constructed near the boundary line of both regions with Tbilisi controlled Georgia.[268][269] In each region an estimated 3,500 Russian military servicemen and around 1,500 FSB personnel are deployed.[270][271][272] Georgia considers the two regions occupied by Russia.

---