Last week, Russian representatives held "three consecutive talks" with the United States, NATO and the OSCE, and it was not surprising that the tit-for-tat sides insisted on their positions on almost all major issues, and the talks fell into a dead end. Since the results cannot be negotiated at the negotiating table, the comparison of strength under the field is an important factor in the outcome of the game between the two sides. The United States, which has always been keen on resolving international disputes by military means, has begun to create its usual public opinion momentum, advocating that "the drums of war have been sounded" and "the atmosphere of war has pervaded the Russian-Ukrainian border." The deep meaning behind it is naturally self-evident.
Whether it is the national strength or military comparison, Ukraine is very different from Russia, in the face of the world's top three military powers under the pressure of war, Ukraine is also actively seeking military assistance from Western countries. On January 17, the British Ministry of Defence announced the shipment of "defensive weapons and military trainers" to Ukraine, and a Canadian special forces force was secretly dispatched to Ukraine.
In the face of the large military assistance of the Western bloc collectively to Ukraine, Russia has absolutely no indication. On January 19, local time, according to Russian media reports, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Lieutenant General Fumin announced that the Russian army will hold an "Allied Determination" military exercise in the Belarusian army in early February, and the military equipment used in the exercise has arrived in Belarus, mainly including 12 Su-35 fighters, 2 sets of S-400 air defense missiles and 1 set of "armor"-S air defense missile system. It is reported that the site of the exercise is close to the border areas of Belarus with Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine.
According to foreign media analysis, the choice of this exercise region is obviously to deter Poland and Lithuania, which are members of NATO, and it is also a rehearsal for the Russian-Ukrainian war that can come at any time.
Compared with the limited role of military forces such as individual anti-tank missiles and military training personnel provided by Western countries to Ukraine, the russian army's force size, equipment type, and advanced weapons are far higher than those of the other side, and its comprehensive combat strength ranks first-class in the world, and it can simultaneously come up with a similar "12 Soviet-35+2 sets of S-400 and 1 set of 'armor'-S" weapons and equipment levels in a military exercise, which is also one of the few in the world.
On the one hand, they are worried that Moscow will take this opportunity to quietly transport large-scale advanced weapons and equipment to Belarus; on the other hand, they are more worried that through this exercise, the Russian military will open up a new offensive route against Ukraine, that is, through Belarus' surprise attack on Ukraine, the Ukrainian side will be caught off guard.
First of all, judging from the Su-35 and S-400 air defense missiles invested in this military exercise, it can be clearly seen that the Russian military has already made tit-for-tat countermeasures against the military threats of Ukraine and NATO. Compared with the Stealth Fighter Su-57, which has not yet entered service in large quantities, the Su-35 is the most advanced combat readiness duty force of the Russian Air force at this stage.
As the ultimate magic variant of the Su-27 family, the Su-35 achieves the highest level of Sukhoi in terms of power, mobility and weapon system. The AL-41F1S turbofan engine can easily reach a maneuverable overload of 9G, the maximum flight speed of Mach 2.26 makes it stand out from the crowd, and up to 12 weapon mounts can carry a variety of air-to-air, air-to-ground missiles and a variety of guided and unguided munitions.
If the Su-35 is the sharp spear of the Russian army's operation against Ukraine, then the S-400 is a solid shield for defending the blue sky. As the world's most advanced air defense system, the S-400 can cover a combat range of 400 kilometers, which can effectively detect and strike various aircraft, missiles and other air targets.
For a long time, the Western military leadership has believed that the location of the Russian-Ukrainian war is only the long border between the two sides, coupled with the foreign media constantly playing "100,000 Russian troops deployed on the Russian-Ukrainian border" and "50% of the Ukrainian army concentrated on defending Russia", this view has gradually become the mainstream of the West. If at this time the Russian side uses the "Allied Determination" military exercise to kill two birds with one stone, while deploying its own military forces in Belarus, and is ready to attack Andi to war against Ukraine, then the other side of the Ukrainian side to defend is not only the adjacent side to Russia, but it will fall into a three-sided siege of the Russian army. Under the premise that the US military and nato groups will not personally go to war with the Russian army, Ukraine will only usher in a more rapid defeat.