It’s clear now that Russia will not accept Georgia’s capitulation in South Ossetia, that it has additional territorial aims in Georgia. That’s about all that’s clear, though. Richard Ferdandez tries to make sense of things. His bottom line is that it appears Russia is trying to split Georgia in two, taking Georgia’s Black Sea ports and leaving a rump Georgia landlocked and isolated.
Ralph Peters observes additionally that this was clearly a planned effort, not the emergency reponse that the Kremlin claims:
How do I know that the Russians set a trap? Simple: Given the wretched state of Russian military readiness, that brigade could never have shot out of its motor pool on short notice. The Russians obviously “task-organized” the force in advance to make sure it would have working tanks with competent crews.
Otherwise, broken-down vehicles would’ve lined those mountain roads.
The Russians planned it. And they hope to push it to the limit.
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