Zelensky claims Ukraine is inflicting "biggest blow to the Russian army in decades"
Source: CNN
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed that Ukrainian forces are inflicting the biggest blow to Russias army in decades.
In a Facebook video address Saturday Zelensky said 31 Russian tactical battalion groups have lost capability, and more than 360 Russian tanks have been lost.
Zelensky added that groups of Russian troops were surrendering to Ukrainian forces, but that Russia is now recruiting fighters, reservists, conscripts, and mercenaries to outnumber Ukrainian forces.
Addressing the city of Mariupol, Zelensky said that Ukrainian forces will guarantee a ceasefire along the evacuation corridor out of the city to allow supplies into the city, and to facilitate civilian evacuations.
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Read more: https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/ukraine-russia-putin-news-03-12-22/h_84343a96ab0f7483be1a50ec0e2068f0
Glory to Ukraine!
secondwind
(16,903 posts)paleotn
(17,876 posts)Didn't think that much of him pre-war. Maybe in over his head. I was completely wrong!
OnlinePoker
(5,716 posts)SheltieLover
(57,073 posts)mucifer
(23,466 posts)Ukraine would be a breeze.
getagrip_already
(14,605 posts)Did tfg fluff him up to the point where he believed we wouldn't react forcefully?
Makes you wonder.
Eyeball_Kid
(7,429 posts)But. Trump lost and Biden immediately went to work to re-align with NATO. That ruined Putin's Plan A: A blitzkrieg through UKR and an immediate occupation of Kyiv, followed by a provisional government that would be ruled by Putin. The plan completion would be in a week or two.
But that didn't work.
On to Plan B. Wholesale destruction to bring UKR to its knees, begging Putin to stop his slaughter.
But that's not working. A revitalized NATO and an enraged UKR population denigrates Putin's brand as invincible and all-powerful. Putin is now outsourcing his infantry to Syrians, who will be used as fodder in the front lines, with little ability to communicate with Russian officers.
There is no Plan C.
NickB79
(19,224 posts)We've become so used to so many spineless, self-serving politicians here in the US that the sight of a leader actually LEADING his nation in a time of terrible crisis is awe-inspiring.
Wingus Dingus
(8,052 posts)CanonRay
(14,080 posts)which I doubt, they would be very effective. The Russians can barley control their own soldiers who all speak Russian. What are they going to do with 15,000 Syrians with little if any training, language barriers, and not used to Ukraine conditions. Die, that's what.
Wingus Dingus
(8,052 posts)Unless Russia won't pay them until they've been in urban combat for "x" number of weeks--if they pay them at all beyond the first installment. How dumb would a Syrian have to be to take this deal?
NCjack
(10,279 posts)Wingus Dingus
(8,052 posts)for them to desert Russia and switch sides or go home.
LymphocyteLover
(5,636 posts)shows Putin's desperation I guess
lastlib
(23,136 posts)...just cannon fodder, is my guess.
But what do I know?
quakerboy
(13,915 posts)If you manage to recruit a bunch of people who are already war criminals and were happy to indiscriminantly kill their own countrymen, how much more willing might they be to terrorize and murder people in a foriegn nation. Especially if they believe they have a religeous mandate. As compared to russian conscripts who may have ukranian family.
Thats not overly useful for an occupying army. But if the goal is to grind ukraine down regardless of the human cost, or even with an eye to increasing the human cost, i can see the use.
KS Toronado
(17,136 posts)Could they find a way to stop them? Confiscate their vehicles for some petty reason?
left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)They have been fighting a war in Syria for 10 years.
They have been trained on the battlefield.
Wingus Dingus
(8,052 posts)in Ukraine urban combat? Money, escape from Syria, religious war (Muslim vs. Christian or Jew), or psychopaths who want a further opportunity to kill? We will see if those are powerful enough motivators to have an effect on the course of the war. I think the easiest of those to combat is money and escape from Syria. Simply offer them money to leave.
Sapient Donkey
(1,568 posts)Its their life. Not sure how many of those supposed 15k Syrians fit into that, though.
But then again it could also be like the South Koreans in the Vietnam war. Its my understanding that a lot of them felt like it was their duty to stand up at that point as a form of repayment or acknowledgment of the defense of South Korea during the Korean War. Not sure if that transfers to this situation and cultures, but I can see some similarities.
Lonestarblue
(9,958 posts)Of course, these may be non-religious Syrian mercenaries.
Sapient Donkey
(1,568 posts)When it comes to Uyghurs in Xinjiang. Which even using the most charitable explanations that come from the Chinese state are extremely messed up.
People seem willing to ignore stuff if its convenient or if they dont see it. We do it here too. I think about how for the months of August and September how much everyone felt so horrible about the horrors that people in Afghanistan were going to face. Particularly the younger people from the larger metro areas who didnt want anything to do with the taliban ways. Six months later, how often do you think about those people who were desperate to flee but couldnt? Im guilty of this. Its not much for me.
OnlinePoker
(5,716 posts)I didn't see numbers of injured or captured, but Russia has lost over 12,000 (KIA, injured, captured), so it is an amazing accomplishment. Ukraine also has a stronger tank core now than before the war because of all the T72 and T80 tanks they've captured (prewar, most of their tanks were older T64's).
Wicked Blue
(5,813 posts)N as in nyet
Lucky Luciano
(11,248 posts)Of course there is no Z in Cyrillic - they use 3 for the Z sound.
NCjack
(10,279 posts)LymphocyteLover
(5,636 posts)BadgerMom
(2,769 posts)Blessedly, this ended once Pres. Biden was in office. But now I find I do the same thing because Im so worried about Kyiv, the rest of Ukraine and especially, the well-being of this man.
Wingus Dingus
(8,052 posts)PSPS
(13,577 posts)GB_RN
(2,322 posts)N/T
electric_blue68
(14,807 posts)XacerbatedDem
(511 posts)L. Coyote
(51,129 posts)Igel
(35,270 posts)Left side is Peter the Great, right side is Putin.
Under Peter, "He opened a window on Europe."
Under Putin, "He closed it."