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rhifyn 1182 issue 1182
23 gall 2022 23 may 2022
gair rhydd Cardiff University’s student paper | Established 1972
Inside: Gair Rhydd speaks with societies about what they have been up to over the last year (Page 4-5)
What comes next for Russia after the conflict in Ukraine is resolved?
Alex Hughes News Editor
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ith Russia’s attack on western Donbas now in full swing and NATO’s military aid scaling up, a key question on the minds of Western strategists is whether or not Putin is likely to accept a dramatically smaller objective than the one he initially risked the sanctions over – political control of most or all of Ukraine. It’s now clear that Russia’s original invasion plans hinged on the success of a lightning decapitation strike against the seat of government. Early on February 24, the radars of Ukraine’s air defence network in the north suffered intense electronic jamming and a sudden wave of missile attacks. This cleared the way for the air assault on Hostomel airport, just north of Kyiv. Around a thousand Russian troops were deployed in several dozen helicopters. Once they’d secured the airstrip, eighteen cargo planes were supposed to land and offload a strike force of around seven thousand personnel in combat vehicles. They were to drive straight into central Kyiv, seize the Presidential Office and the main TV stations, declare Zelenskyy’s government dissolved, and then hope that – with the government decapitated and ground forces pushing into the country from four directions – Ukraine’s regional military commanders would order their troops to lay down their arms. In a secondary action, Russian special forces operators are reported to have parachuted into Kyiv before sunrise on the first day. But the only Russian cargo plane to touch down that day was the one Ukrainian forces shot down – with hundreds of Russian troops onboard – assisted by real-time US intelligence. A determined Ukrainian counterattack managed to overwhelm the Russian troops on the airfield, and the other planes had to hastily withdraw back across the border. The parachutists made two attempts to storm the Presidential compound in central Kyiv, but were repulsed by Zelenskyy’s security forces. Although the airport fell the next day when a much larger detachment in around two hundred helicopters moved
in, Ukrainian forces had bought time to organise a serious defence of the capital, and to set in motion a long-planned-for defence of the country on all fronts. In the weeks that followed, tens of thousands of Russian troops attempted to encircle Kyiv from the north, but never came close to succeeding. The core problem arose in the planning stage: units had been organised in formations optimised for speed rather than combat effectiveness, to create a sense of panic that would push Ukraine’s army to stand down, once the decapitation was complete. The plan was devised not by military strategists, but by Russia’s main intelligence agency, the FSB. The chief of its operations in Ukraine has since been blamed for its catastrophic failure, and he’s now being held in one of Moscow’s most notorious prisons. When Plan A failed, Russian military commanders attempted to reorient their forces onto a firmer footing and advance more methodically, but by then, the units north of Kyiv were concentrated along a single highway, much of it flanked by mud plains and forests that were impassable to armour and that made for easy ambush points. This meant that vital supplies couldn’t get through to the forward units, and as these came under intense Ukrainian artillery fire, much of Russia’s own artillery was stuck in the traffic jams to the north, out of range of the frontline. This artillery imbalance became a decisive factor in the battle for Kyiv. Severe problems with logistics, morale, a lack of close air support, and a marked lack of infantry – as well as tenacious fighting by the city’s defenders, who were bolstered by accurate and continuous US intelligence provided by high-altitude surveillance aircraft operating above neighbouring Poland – eventually meant that the northern force had to withdraw back into Belarus. In their wake they left widespread destruction and, according to officials from the European Union, the United Nations and the International Criminal Court, apparent evidence of serious war crimes. To read Alex's article looking at the possible future impacts of Russia's military action in Ukraine, turn to page 6 6
Allegations of sexism: Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has urged that there is a long way to go to make the world of politics more inclusive and equal. Source: Number 10 (via Flickr)
UK Government faces accusations of sexism
Katherine Seymour Politics Editor
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opular culture adaptations of parliamentary proceedings have focussed on sleaze, sex scandals and affairs and throughout this week the realities of this have come to the forefront again. First with Angela Rayner being accused of trying to ‘charm’ the Prime Minister through PMQs and then
A allwn ni nawr roi COVID-19 y tu ôl i ni? Alexa Price
Conservative MP Nick Parish being found to have watched pornography in the House of Commons chamber as well as an alleged 56 MPs including 2 from the shadow cabinet and 3 from the cabinet under investigation over sexual harrasment and misconduct in parliament. The story around Angela Rayner came out in the Mail on Sunday on the 24th of April and drew much contraversy for the journalist who wrote
Ogmore Castle - a "beautiful hidden gem" Atreya Mukerjee
Golygydd Taf-od
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Attenborough named 'Champion of Earth' Georgia King
Review Editor
dyna ni. Mae cyfyngiadau annifyr y ddwy flynedd diwethaf wedi dod i ben. I ni fel myfyrwyr, dwi’n siŵr fe deimlon ni i gyd ar ryw bwynt y byddai’r diwrnodau yma byth yn cyrraedd, ond dyma ni! Mae yna wir deimlad o ryddhad wedi cwympo drosta i, gan feddwl bod dim angen poeni dros sawl masg oedd gennai yn y bag (wastad un neu ddau yn llawn colur ac angen cael eu golchi, wps!), neu pwy oedd yn iawn i eistedd ar bwys ar y trên adref. I ddarllen erthygl Alexa ynghylch a allwn roi COVID-19 y tu ôl i ni, trowch i dudalen 10
the piece. The piece alleged that an unnamed Conservative MP had said that Angela Rayner crossed her legs in certain ways throughout Prime Minister’s Questions and chose her outfits in strategic ways to try to distract Boris Johnson. To read Katherine's full article about the accusations raised against the UK government around 14 sexism, turn to page 14
Contributor
I
’ve often looked for articles about the best day trips from Cardiff, and can’t believe that none of them ever mentioned this beautiful hidden gem, just an hour away from the city. A little tired of my mundane schedule, I was zooming into places that Google Maps showed me on my phone, and that’s when I read ‘Ogmore Castle’. Intrigued, I looked it up and was on a train to Bridgend from Cardiff Central the very next day.Apart from figuring out the route and seeing a couple of photographs online, I didn’t quite know what to expect out of this site. To read about Atreya's trip out to Ogmore Castle near Ogmore-on-Sea, turn to page 30
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ir David Attenborough has been named “Champion of the Earth” by the UN’s Environment Programme. This makes the veteran broadcaster, writer, and naturalist just the fifth person to receive this award for lifetime achievement. The 95-year-old was given the “most distinguished environment award” for his devotion to telling stories about the natural world and informing people about the climate crisis. After accepting the award, Sir David continued to advocate for the planet, urging the world to take action at once. To read Georgia's article on Sir David Attenborough's commendation, turn to page 35
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