Russian occupied Tokmak switches to Ruble
Russian forces in the Ukrainian occupied city of Tokmak will force a transition to the Russian Ruble today.
Tokmak is in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast, which was captured by Russian forces on 7 March 2022 after nine days of fighting, including the shelling of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
The currency transition suggests an attempt at consolidating power, although it comes as Russia loses ground elsewhere in Ukraine. After indicating a shift in strategy in order to focus on the Donbas region, Russian units have now partially withdrawn from both Kyiv and Chernihiv, according to a spokesman for Ukraine’s military.
Expect Russian forces near Kyiv to continue being redirected to the Donbas region, a process that will take several weeks. Efforts will likely focus on the city of Mariupol, which if captured could form a bridge between Donbas and Crimea. As Putin will want to save face after the Kyiv retreat, expect Moscow to take a hard line on the Donbas region in future negotiations.
04/03/2022 09:46 EST – UPDATE: The transition will begin on Monday, April 4th.
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