Russia's drone attack on a port in Ukraine's Odesa region Sunday was the precursor of a potential offensive movement aimed at eliminating food stocks, a "horrific" tactic, retired U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Blaine Holt said on Newsmax Sunday.
"There's many different layers to all of that, all of them reprehensible," Holt, a former military representative to NATO, told Newsmax's "Sunday Report."
The Ukrainians, meanwhile, are "throwing every last reserve that they have" into regions in the east said Holt, but he's not sure they have the logistics to pull off a win.
"It's a very dangerous calculation," he said. "The whole of it is we see that strategically, the violence is going up, and I think we're on the verge of a new chapter in this war, possibly the one that's decisive."
Meanwhile, geopolitical analyst Harley Lippman, also appearing on the show, said that while there are concerns that the latest aggression could prove devastating to Ukraine and its allies, the morale of the Ukrainians could be boosted.
"They're constantly the victims of Russian attack, and they've been dying to finally get the feeling that they could go on the offensive," he said. "Remember what the Russians are feeling is a fraction of a percent of what they've inflicted on Ukraine."
Drone attacks are also "the future of warfare," said Lippman.
"I think that's important and significant," he said. "I think the last message here is that this is a signal to the Russians from Ukraine that we could take the war deep into your territory."
Meanwhile, there is "definitely an alliance" between Russia and China, but Russia is "betting on a racehorse that's in real trouble at home."
"The Chinese Communist Party has got its own back against the wall with its people for a variety of reasons," said Holt. "Leading the pack there is their economy is vaporizing as we're having this conversation."
Russia, however, is getting "buttressed" as Europe is not able to logistically support sanctions, said Holt.
"LNG (liquefied natural gas) imports from Russia are up 40% since the loss of Nord Stream One," he said. "There is gas getting relabeled from Azerbaijan through Saudi Arabia, all coming into the EU, where there's a demand signal for it."
However, Holt said it's not an "economic boon" to Russia, even while sanctions do have their limitations.
"Where we should look is the BRICS thing for real," said Holt. "Russia and China are going to be at the head of it. I think as long as India holds where they're at, I don't think we have to worry about that."
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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