The Ukrainians have turned the Russians’ methods in Donbass against themselves. There, the Russians used separatists as spearheads for secession. Now the Ukrainians are doing the same on Russian territory. Johan Huovinen at Försvarshøgskolan believes.

I think it could look like a Ukrainian special operation, says Huovinen to the Swedish news agency TT.

Huovinen, who teaches at Försvarshögskolan and has previously served in Russia and Ukraine, says that it is difficult to assess the situation, but that it may seem as if the Ukrainians are trying to use the Russians’ own tactics against them.

A special operation where they try to create the impression that there are Russian separatists who want to join Ukraine and more or less mirror what happened in Luhansk and Donetsk in 2014, he says. (NTB)

Fighting inside Russia in the name of two groups that say they are fighting for the liberation of Russia embarrasses the Kremlin. Until one of the saboteurs is arrested and the truth is forced out of them.

Ukraine is playing a high stakes game.