Zelensky claims Ukraine is inflicting "biggest blow to the Russian army in decades"

[highplainsdem]

Source: CNN

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed that Ukrainian forces are inflicting the “biggest blow to Russia’s 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.

-snip-



Read more: https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/ukraine-russia-putin-news-03-12-22/h_84343a96ab0f7483be1a50ec0e2068f0

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Glory to Ukraine!

[secondwind]

1. God bless this man, and keep him safe...

[CentralMass]

3. +1

[paleotn]

5. The right person in the right place at exactly the right time.

Didn't think that much of him pre-war. Maybe in over his head. I was completely wrong!

[OnlinePoker]

6. Whatever the outcome, Time's Person of the Year for 2022. n/t

[SheltieLover]

16. Absolutely!

[mucifer]

10. I wonder if putin thought because he was a tv star he was the same as trump and taking over

Ukraine would be a breeze.

[getagrip_already]

24. I wonder if he called tfg to ask how the military and congress would react?

Did tfg fluff him up to the point where he believed we wouldn't react forcefully?

Makes you wonder.

[Eyeball_Kid]

28. Putin's plan was to keep Trump in power, then start his conquest while Trump runs interference.

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]

33. It really is amazing, isn't it?

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.

[tanyev]

22. +1

[Wingus Dingus]

2. This is true. They're enduring a horror show, but they are racking up some real numbers.

[CanonRay]

8. I'm not sure even if they get 15,000 Syrians to fight

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]

9. Wouldn't they just take their mercenary money and disappear?

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]

12. There are Syrians who will accept Russian gold, and then flip to the UKR side.

[Wingus Dingus]

15. That's a possibility--or Ukraine/NATO offers money

for them to desert Russia and switch sides or go home.

[LymphocyteLover]

17. yes, I don't see how Syrians could be an effective force for the Russians

shows Putin's desperation I guess

[lastlib]

30. They possibly not meant to be.....

...just cannon fodder, is my guess.

But what do I know?

[quakerboy]

34. depends what you mean by effective

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]

13. Looking at a map they might have to go through Turkey

Could they find a way to stop them? Confiscate their vehicles for some petty reason?

[left-of-center2012]

20. Don't discount Syrian fighting ability

They have been fighting a war in Syria for 10 years.
They have been trained on the battlefield.

[Wingus Dingus]

21. What is their motivation for wanting to fight

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]

37. Some people just live for conflict and war

It’s 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. It’s 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]

27. How will Syrian Muslims feel about fighting for Putin, whose forces are bombing mosques.

Of course, these may be non-religious Syrian mercenaries.

[Sapient Donkey]

38. Many Pakistanis, along with their gov, look the other way

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 it’s convenient or if they don’t 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 didn’t 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 couldn’t? I’m guilty of this. It’s not much for me.

[OnlinePoker]

4. He also said Ukraine had lost (KIA) 1200.

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]

7. They should paint out the Z letters on the tanks and change them to Ns

N as in nyet

[Lucky Luciano]

11. That would be "H" in the Cyrillic alphabet!

Of course there is no “Z” in Cyrillic - they use “3” for the “Z” sound.

[NCjack]

14. Any numbers on Russians who defected, changed into civilian clothes, and crossed into Poland?

[LymphocyteLover]

18. Go Ukraine!!!!

[BadgerMom]

19. Under Trump, I'd wake up every day and check my phone to see what horror he'd created overnight.

Blessedly, this ended once Pres. Biden was in office. But now I find I do the same thing because I’m so worried about Kyiv, the rest of Ukraine and especially, the well-being of this man.

[Wingus Dingus]

23. I do the same. I almost dread checking the news every morning.

[PSPS]

25. Same here.

[GB_RN]

31. I Think Most Of Us Did The Same Thing...

N/T

[electric_blue68]

35. True for all this

[XacerbatedDem]

39. I knew I wasn't the only one. I worry so much for the safety of this man.

[L. Coyote]

26. Give credit where credit is due, Putin is inflicting the biggest blow ever to Russian Federation.

And, this scenario is pointing towards the dissolution of the Russian Federation.

Link to tweet

[Igel]

29. There's a Ukrainiam meme circulating ...

Left side is Peter the Great, right side is Putin.

Under Peter, "He opened a window on Europe."

Under Putin, "He closed it."

[Cha]

32. Glory to Ukraine!

💙💛

[Crowman2009]

36. This is like when the Russians face up against the Japanese in the early 1900s.