September 30, 2022
WASHINGTON, Sept 30 (Reuters) – Russia’s mobilization has exposed the mounting pressure the Kremlin is under as its armed forces show signs of “increased weakness and frailty” in the war in Ukraine, Britain’s Chief of Defense Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said on Friday.
“There are pressure points. There is some brittleness to the Russian armed forces,” Radakin told a small group of reporters in Washington.
But Radakin cautioned that the conflict was slow-moving, with Ukraine poised to take further, incremental advantage of Russian “pressure points.” He did not predict any sudden Russian battlefield collapse.
“The underlying feature (of the conflict) is of a grinding nature, with temporary advantages that are seized and built on. You’re not seeing a huge shift in balance between the two,” he said.
His comments came shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday delivered a 37-minute anti-Western diatribe in Moscow before signing documents to annex four regions of Ukraine — an act denounced as illegal by Ukraine, the United States, the European Union and the head of the United Nations.
Russia controls only parts of the four Ukrainian regions it is annexing.
Even as Putin spoke, his forces 750 km (460 miles) to the south were being encircled in the Ukrainian city of Lyman, and Ukraine said Moscow would have to appeal to Kyiv if it wanted them to be allowed to leave.
Radakin said Putin’s remarks, including his renewed nuclear rhetoric, was an example of “Russia responding from a point of weakness and desperation.”
“And the rhetoric gets more and more reckless,” he said.
Ukraine, which carried out a lightning counteroffensive this month, reclaiming swaths of the Kharkiv region, still had more opportunities in the northeast and in the east of the country, he said. Asked whether Russian mobilization has had any impact on its armed forces in Ukraine, Radakin said: “In a military or a tactical sense, none whatsoever.”
“It’s revealed the pressure that Russia is under,” Radakin said, adding that mobilized Russian forces were being asked to come with bandages and winter gear.
“I don’t think that that mobilization, done in such a cack-handed and amateurish and shocking way, instills much fear in the Ukrainian armed forces,” he said.
“And if anything, it adds to (Ukraine’s) motivation that they’re being successful.”
ome key points:
“Putin’s remarks, including his renewed nuclear rhetoric, was an example of “Russia responding from a point of weakness and desperation.”
“And the rhetoric gets more and more reckless,”
“I don’t think that that mobilization, done in such a cack-handed and amateurish and shocking way, instills much fear in the Ukrainian armed forces,” he said (Radakin).
“And if anything, it adds to (Ukraine’s) motivation that they’re being successful.”
Mafia land’s “special military operation” was a farce from the start. There is no precedent in history in which another nation (or empire) has made itself look so completely preposterous as Russia has done in this war. We are familiar of all the blunders that this band of thugs has made, and this from the start of the war down to this very minute. It will not get any better.
But, despite its gross ineptness and its eventual failure, this so-called army must be defeated as soon as possible. At this very moment, they are committing unspeakable crimes against civilians and UA soldiers and cause constant destruction wherever they are. We may not be able to predict a sudden collapse of mafia land’s gang, but we should do everything possible to bring this about ASAP.
“You’re not seeing a huge shift in balance between the two,” he said.”
Perhaps that is because the defenders have not been given what they need : ATACM’s, modern warplanes, modern tanks and effective air defences?
“Ukraine said Moscow would have to appeal to Kyiv if it wanted them to be allowed to leave.”
Why? Can anyone explain that? The choice surely is “surrender immediately or you all get smoked.”
There may not be a shift of balance in terms of military material, but there is one in military skills. The orcs are clearly vastly inferior, and this is what will bring victory for Ukraine.
“Ukraine said Moscow would have to appeal to Kyiv if it wanted them to be allowed to leave.”
I think that this was meant to be a joke. It would be completely foolish to let the orcs escape. The UA forces have not been foolish yet.
I think the intention is to put the ball in Putin’s court Sir Scradge. Putin must come to Zelensky and ask for mercy. Then Zelensky can say blyat tebe or something more constructive 😉
I would think it depends on how Putin approaches the issue with Zelensky. If Putin wants to keep saying that ukraine is simply a fantasy country, Zelensky may say gavno and be done with it.
If the limping imp doesn’t approach Zelensky then he will be forfeiting the lives of 5,500 orcs which would probably be fine with Zelensky except Ukraine is following the rules of war unlike the limping imp.
The Ukrainians may give them a chance to surrender. But, if they don’t, they get what they have coming and die to the last man.