The Russians are on the run

Ukraine's military counter-offensive against Russian troops, in the north and south, is having extraordinary success. The Russian troops are on the run, retreating from their long-occcupied towns and villages around Kharkiv in the north and Kherson in the south. Even Vladimir Putin must realise that his "special military operation" is going horribly wrong. The Russian troops are not only retreating, they are losing territory which they need for their logistical supply routes. What this will mean in the longer term is difficut to judge. If the retreat continues and Ukraine liberates Kharkiv and Kherson, it would be a staggering blow to Putin. But how will he react? The danger is that he will blame the West for helping Ukraine to ruin his dreams of controlling his neighbour and will lash out in some way. We could be approaching a dangerous time. Putin regards nuclear weapons as usable systems when he perceives the Russian nation to be under threat. We don't know what is in his mind but if he is facing a humiliating defeat in Kharkiv and Kherson, absolutely vital cities for his occupation strategy, he could strike out in a way that will have an impact on all of us.