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As Ukrainian forces retake the key southern city of Kherson — abandoned by Russia after months of occupation since March — their sheer toughness and dazzling bravery still amaze. But the West could still fail them by refusing to provide Ukraine key support for fear of somehow upsetting mad Vladimir Putin.
Vastly outnumbered, Ukraine’s troops first stalled the Russian invasion and then in recent weeks took back massive swathes of territory. But that’s driven Putin to new depths of brutality, with an endless series of strikes on civilian water and power infrastructure.
The Kherson pullout is clearly preparatory to a Russian hunkering-down before winter, dug in to hold its remaining conquered turf while Ukrainian civilians suffer a brutal winter without power, heat or water. In the spring, Putin will see what his options are.
So Washington and the West need to get serious about upgrading Ukraine’s capacity to shoot down the drones and missiles central to Russia’s “deadly winter” strategy.
