Russia has already lost US-backed troops in Iraq and Afghanistan

Posted on 03/18/2022 06:00

(Credit: Sergey Bobok / AFP)

Vladimir Putin hoped to capture Kiev as soon as possible, with as few military casualties as possible. The Kremlin insisted that the “special operation” war lasted 23 days, and that Moscow’s forces had not made significant progress on the battlefield. Under pressure from financial sanctions imposed by the West, the Russian president decided to mobilize troops stationed in the territory of Ossetia on his way to Ukraine. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov sent another 1,000 mercenaries to fight Russian troops.

According to Pentagon sources consulting with The New York Times, 7,000 Russian soldiers died – an average of 300 a day. Among the dead were four generals: Andrei Sukhovsky, Andrei Kolsnikov, Oleg Midyev and Vitaly Gerasimov.

“In just 20 days, Russia, like the United States, has fallen victim to two decades of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Democratic initiative is an NGO dedicated to promoting democracy and human rights in Eastern Europe. The Caucasus.” Bodies are thrown or burned on the roads and in the fields. “The Kremlin recognizes only 500 casualties.

Zalmayev believes the statistics published by the NY Times are underestimated. “Ukrainian authorities estimate Russian casualties at 13,500. Moscow has not made any strategic progress on the front lines and is limited to tactical maneuvers. This is a kind of delay,” the expert commented. According to him, this fact justifies why Putin is trying to “intimidate the public.” “He seeks to increase the human costs and suffering of the Ukrainians in order to beg the Kiev and Western governments for possible negotiations.”

The expert warns that this situation is unfavorable for attackers. “Ukrainians know the territory, have access to goods and enjoy 100% support from the people, as well as morale.” The outlook does not bode well for the Kremlin. Salmayev said Putin was calling on young soldiers with no war experience. In the absence of options to change the war situation, the Kremlin is seeking economic assistance from China.

Oleksi Haran, a professor of comparative politics at the Kiev-Mohila National University (Ukraine), agrees with Salmayev, and admits that the problems of the war were an attempt to intimidate President Volodymyr Zhelensky by killing civilians in Russia. He pointed to three mistakes Putin made before the invasion of Ukraine. “The Kremlin has underestimated my country’s people and military; it has treated our armed forces as corrupt and ineffective; it has played down the possibility of sanctions coming from the West. These mistakes will lead to Russia’s geopolitical collapse,” he told the courier.

The United States and the European Union (EU) have strongly condemned indiscriminate attacks on civilians. On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden called Putin a “war criminal.” Yesterday, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken reinforced the allegations against the White House owner. “Deliberately targeting civilians is a war crime. After all the destruction over the past few weeks, it is difficult for me to conclude that the Russians are doing the opposite,” he said.

The European Union (EU) has condemned Russia’s “grave violations of humanitarian law” and “war crimes” in Ukraine, and said Russian leaders should be held accountable.

Negotiations

On Tuesday, news of a draft 15-point peace plan signaled confidence in a ceasefire. Items in the speech include the neutralization of Ukraine’s territory, the withdrawal of members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the reduction of the army. The neutral level follows the models adopted by Austria and Sweden. Vienna incorporated the condition imposed by the Soviets in 1955.

According to Artem Oliinyk from the Ukrainian Academy of Political Sciences (Kiev), repeating the Austrian project does not apply to Ukrainian territory. “The problem is that some countries have restrictions on weapons; Austria has not been able to use German weapons. The Austrians have not received funding for the nation’s reconstruction,” he said in a statement. Yesterday, without major improvements, negotiations continued on a virtual basis.

I think…

Credit: Personal Archive

“The morale of Russian troops is very low. There are credible reports that Moscow’s troops are flawed: some soldiers simply gave up their weapons and fled into the jungle. Missiles The Russians lost at least 500 tanks, more than 100 aircraft and unknown military vehicles. “

Peter Salmayev, Director of the Eurasian Democratic Initiative (in Kiev)

There is no referendum at the UN

Russia, increasingly isolated, has dropped a humanitarian resolution on Ukraine from being put to a vote in the UN Security Council, after learning that it did not have the support of its closest allies, according to several ambassadors. In their speech on the humanitarian aspect, one ambassador said, “They sought co-sponsorship, but did not return.” . Moscow is counting on the support of two non-voting countries, China and India, in a vote on February 25 on a resolution tabled by the United States and Albania condemning Russia’s “occupation” of Ukraine.

Testimony

Credit: Personal Archive

Taras Trofimchuk

“We have air strike sirens during the day, we hide in shelters. At night the sirens sound for up to four hours. It’s very scary because we have to wake our children and run to the cold, damp basement. Men work. At checkpoints, women prepare food for soldiers. When, we are at peace, it is one and the same. But we understand that we can not agree with the Russians. Our children are being killed. People standing in line in Chernihiv were shot dead. Hope to have.

We fully support our government and hope for success. We are in our homeland and we will not be a part of Russia. We have no right to back down or surrender. How many people died for our freedom. All our heroes who bravely defend us and die … “

Businessman, 38, resident of Lutsk (northwest)