In Geopolitics Today - Thursday, April 21st
Russian Reliance on Rail Leads to Logistical Problems, US Increases Arms Deliveries to Ukraine, Turkey to Increase Naval Activity to Exploit Natural Gas
Russian Reliance on Rail Leads to Logistical Problems
A vast territory, Russia is sparsely and unevenly populated. Its expansive geography and difficult terrain compels the Russian military leadership to rely on rail and road networks when deciding on how best to transport troops, food, and fuel to maintain the country’s war effort. The railway line between Ukrainian Railways and Russian Railways was destroyed by the Ukrainian military to prevent any Russian mobilization into Ukrainian territory via rail.
Acts of sabotage, cyberattacks, artillery and missile strikes, are all contributing to an overall degradation of Russian logistics. The Russian military has a dependence on railways to move its troops and military equipment, and the Ukrainian armed forces appear to have recognized this vulnerability as they have reportedly successfully struck Russian supply routes on multiple occasions. At this time, Russia is seeking to take full control of Mariupol, a regional railway hub with strategic value to Russia. Possessing the port would allow for Russian troops, military hardware, ammunition and food to be more efficiently transported from the port to the rail track, and delivered to its military forces by rail.
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US Increases Arms Deliveries to Ukraine
The United States continues to facilitate an increased flow weapons to support Ukraine in the war effort against Russia. US President Joe Biden has announced that an additional $800 million worth of weapons and ammunition will go to the armed forces of Ukraine, some of which is reported to include advanced suicide drones. Beyond this transfer of heavy artillery and drones, Biden indicated to Congress that he intends to pursue further assistance to be passed in order for weapons to quickly reach Ukraine.
The new military package includes heavy artillery, over 100,000 rounds of ammunition, and drones. The Pentagon has said that this latest transfer of weapons “provides enough artillery systems to equip five battalions.” Included in the package is the delivery of over 120 "Phoenix Ghost" drones made by the US Air Force, a suicide drone design which is said to have taken into consideration Ukrainian military needs in its design process. US officials have said that this drone system would have similar capabilities to the Switchblade drone — a drone small enough to be carried in a backpack, easily launched from afar, and detonated by making contact with its target. Also included is the training of Ukrainian forces on the artillery being delivered which is taking place in an unspecified third country.
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Turkey to Increase Naval Activity to Exploit Natural Gas
In the Black Sea, Turkish forces have tackled incidents involving floating mines from the war in Ukraine. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently said that Turkey must work to maintain a modern navy and to limit the growing threats posed by instability elsewhere in the Black Sea. To reach these goals, Erdogan’s government intends to support political initiatives conductive to energy exploitation in the Black Sea, while also working to improve the ability of the Turkish Navy year after year to be better positioned to project Turkish military power over the Mediterranean, Aegean and Black seas.
The discovery of natural gas within Turkey’s own exclusive economic zone (EEZ) has granted Ankara an opportunity to explore the gas field and lower its energy dependency on imported fuels. The Turkish government has started to incentivize tax cuts in order to support a Turkish Petroleum project which would fund the extraction of natural gas from the newly-discovered field in the Black Sea. Energy is valuable in Turkey as the country is fully dependent on gas imports, and these crucial imports arrive via pipeline from Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran, with Russia supplying an estimated 45% of all the country’s energy imports. Turkey’s Energy Minister Fatih Donmez has said that the recent discovery of a large natural gas field within Turkey’s (EEZ) will “change Turkey’s destiny,” and will serve as an important step toward energy independence for the country.
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