. >>> LET'S GO TO THE MAPS ON THE BIG BOARD AND TALK TO CLINT WATTS. HE'S THERE FOR US. A FORMER INFANTRYMAN AND DISTINGUISHED FELLOW AT THE RESEARCH INSTITUTE AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST FOR MS NBC AND NBC. SHOW US WHERE THE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IS AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ITS OPERATION. >> WE SAW VIDEO THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN ON SOCIAL MEDIA OF A FIREFIGHT IN AND AROUND THOSE REACTORS. WHAT DO THE RUSSIANS WANT TO DO? THEY WANT TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE ENTIRE ENERGY SECTOR. THEY CAN DO SEIZE WARFARE TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE POWER SOURCES, SEPARATELY, THE MORE IMPORTANT POINT MIGHT BE PSYCHOLOGICAL, INJECTING FEAR INTO AUDIENCES WHILE WE ARE TRYING TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF WHAT HAPPENED HERE LAST NIGHT. IS IT SAFE? I BELIEVE BACK AT HOME RUSSIAN DISINFORMATION IS SAYING THE UKRAINIANS ARE POSSIBLY USING IT OR CAUSING A BLAST. WITH WE SAW THAT LAST WEEK WHEN CHERNOBYL WAS TAKEN BACK. THE LAST THING FROM A MILITARY PERSPECTIVE. WE SEE NUCLEAR SITES.
THEY HAVE MASSIVE RAILHEADS. IF YOU ARE AN INVADING ARMY, YOU ARE BOGGED DOWN LOGISTICALLY AND WANT TO MOVE THINGS QUICKLY OVER TIME, TAKING RAILHEADS OUTSIDE OF CITIES IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. ANOTHER LOGISTICAL COMPONENT FOR THEM. THEY ARE NOT DOING WELL ON THE ROADS RIGHT NOW. ANOTHER THING I WANT TO BRING UP, WHILE WE TALKED ABOUT THE FIRST WEEK IN TWO DAYS, RUSSIANS ARE NOW USING THAT COMBAT POWER TO TAKE HOLD. SEVERAL THINGS HA HAPPENED OVER THE LAST 48 HOURS, FIRST THIS UNIT IN CRIMEA, THE PENINSULA THEY SEIZED IN 2014, IT HAS CREATED A LAND WEDGE TO FORCES IN DONBAS. THEY ARE SURROUNDING THIS TOWN HERE OF MARIUPOL. THIS IS TOTAL WAR SIEGE WARFARE, INDIRECT FIRE, THESE FOLKS ARE IN ABSOLUTE DISASTER. SEPARATELY KHERSON, THE OTHER BREAK AWAY MIKA WAS TALKING ABOUT. IT'S THE MOUTH OF THE RIVER AS IT ENTERS INTO THE BLACK SEA AND THERE IS A BRIDGE HERE IN KHERSON WHICH ALLOWS THE RUSSIAN MILITARY TO MOVE TO THE WESTERN SIDE OF UKRAINE.
IF THEY CAN DO THAT, THEY CAN POSSIBLY MARCH ALL THE WAY TO THE MOLDOVAN BORDER SEALING OFF THIS ENTIRE HERE, THERE WILL BE NO SEA SUPPLY OR LOGISTICS TO GET THINGS IN AND THEY CAN USE LANDING CRAFTS TO BRING IN MORE FORCES MORE QUICKLY IN THE SOUTH. BRINGING IT BACK TO THE BIGGER PICTURE. WE HAVE BEEN TALKING A LOT ABOUT THE CONVOY STUCK THERE UP IN THE NORTH. BUT I THINK THERE ARE BIGGER THIS ENGS TO THINK ABOUT. THEY TRIED THIS INITIAL MOVE INTO KIEV. FAILED ATTEMPT TO TAKE DOWN THE TOPPLE THE GOVERNMENT EARLY. YOU ARE SEEING THEM START TO MAKE GAINS IN CLUE CHERNIHIV. IT'S NOT SIGNIFICANT UNLESS YOU BUILD UP A LOGGERHEAD HERE. YOU WANT TO TAKE UP THE REAR AREAS. YOU HEARD DEFENSE SECRETARY KIRBY TALKING ABOUT TAKING THESE TOWNS, YOU DON'T WANT TO BE FIGHTING INSURGENTS IN YOUR REAR AREA. THAT BRINGS US TO THE ENDS, THEY ARE NOW MARCHING FROM THE SOUTH IN FROM THE EAST, THEIR ULTIMATE.