9/30/23
Russian soldiers warned that Ukrainian troops were “better armed” while fighting for control of a key village retaken by Kyiv this month in a new video that emerged on social media on Saturday morning.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his military retook control of Klishchiivka, a town located southwest of Bakhmut, on September 17, marking a critical victory for Ukraine’s latest counteroffensive. Launched in June, Ukraine’s most recent effort at reclaiming captured territory appeared to move at a slower pace than the country’s allies, which have provided it with substantial military aid, initially hoped for. But the victory in Klishchiivka provided Ukraine a much-needed boost in its counteroffensive that has since seen positive indicators.
Russian soldiers who fought for control of the city have now posted video to social media explaining the defeat. The video, which was recorded on September 19, was posted to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, by the account @wartranslated on Saturday. The origins of the video remain unknown and Newsweek could not independently verify its authenticity.
In the video, a soldier reveals that at least 1,000—but potentially as many 1,200—troops were killed in the battle for Klishchiivka while also explaining Ukraine’s weaponry advantage in combat.
“In Klischiivka, from the lakeside, two Leopards are operating. The zone is fully fired through and shelled with clusters. Moving out are 10 of us, and 5 are covering only because we didn’t take them, so we’d have a chance to come out,” the soldier said. “Enemy manpower superiority is reportedly 10-fold. They’re better armed. We have no magazine, nothing. Machine guns are rotten. We use whatever there is.”
The group of soldiers were members of the Regiment 1307 and Unit 78567. Their status remains unknown.
The soldier who spoke throughout the video, whose identity is unknown, said the video would be posted if “something bad” happened, but that the soldiers would have “stood to the end for Russia.”
“But if our team does not return, if something bad is going to happen. This video will immediately go out on the internet. On behalf of our group of 10 + 5 support, we want the society to raise the question of the training of the mobilized and contractors,” he said.
Newsweek reached out to the Russian Ministry of Defense for comment via email.
A group of Russian servicemen recorded this video before being sent by Putin into a meat assault in Klischiivka, Bakhmut direction.
— Dmitri (@wartranslated) September 30, 2023
The men, counting 10 members plus 5 in support, were told to occupy a residential area in Klischiivka, where Ukrainian superiority was tenfold, in… pic.twitter.com/ywAaMLe6H7
Ukraine’s General Staff said in a post on social media on Thursday that its forces continue to repel Russian attacks around Klishchiivka. Meanwhile, Russia’s defense ministry said on that same day that an artillery strike carried out by its southern grouping of forces killed around 30 Ukrainian fighters near the village.
Ukraine’s Counteroffensive Continues Making Progress
Russia has seen some bad news out of Ukraine in recent days as Kyiv’s counteroffensive makes more progress.
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the war in February 2022, aiming for a quick victory against his Eastern European neighbor, perceived as having a smaller, weaker military. But Ukraine’s stronger-than-expected military response, bolstered by Western aid, has limited Moscow’s progress since last year.
The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense wrote in a Wednesday intelligence update that Putin’s forces are too “over-stretched” to launch their own counterattack.
“Since the start of the invasion, Russia has only rarely maintained an uncommitted army-size grouping which could potentially form the basis of a major new offensive thrust. With 25 CAA apparently being deployed piecemeal to reinforce the over-stretched line, a concerted new Russian offensive is less likely over the coming weeks,” the intelligence update reads.
“Russian soldiers warned that Ukrainian troops were “better armed”
The AFU will assure this trend to continue, including turning live roach meat into dead roach meat.
Am I to assume, as an outsider, that despite the shenanigans of the putler bloc, the aid package is safe for the next 12 months?
Or is that over-optimistic?
Re the above article, it would seem that a huge supply of cluster munitions; all variants and delivery systems, would achieve a vital objective: an orc kill rate that makes their position untenable?
I hope that’s right. Although not likely if Biden would just address the nation and outline the national security concerns, I think it wouldn’t even be a concern. Maybe McCarthy can grow some balls after yesterday’s congressional results. If he moves towards bipartisanship with getting support from the dems, he can effectively tell the fuckin idiots like Goetz and Greene to fuck off. Goetz has been humiliated anyway.
I would like to know why Biden isn’t addressing the nation in this regard. It could only help him.
There is literally nothing that Biden can say that will convince those who believe that US support is due to Burisma kickbacks.
There is nothing Biden can say to convince American’s this is in our strategic interests. We’ve heard the story the before in Vietnam about how the Soviets were going to take over the world if we didn’t stop them. It’s a fairy tale and American’s know we are safe.
Biden can not convince people they should care about Ukrainians. He will be ridiculed for not caring about Americans. This is what his opposition does. Even conservative Republicans will be attacked and discredited on this. Russian disinformation campaigns on social media are vast. If I challenge 100 people’s views, maybe 1 turns out to be a real person. It’s like there is this huge Fuck Ukraine campaign running that seemingly dovetails into a Patriotic America First narrative. Most Russians are stupid orcs but theirs masters are good at propaganda.
Ukranians themselves, particularly the US ambassador, should make the case directly. If you look at the Ukranian site detailing war crimes, it’s pretty thin. The actually suffering isn’t clear, the actual futile nature of negotiating with Russians isn’t clear to many Americans, the falseness of Russian claims is too readily adopted. Nobody is going to change their mind if Biden talks about this things because of the strong narrative that he is compromised with $$$ for Ukrainian support.
In the end, US security (border wall) and Ukranian aid have been split out. The Democrats will have to compromise on some things to get Ukranian aid through. Many Republicans will help but there is enough fringe (both left and right) opposition and hatred of the costs of war and experience that military spending leads to zero results that who knows.
Maybe the British will have to go all in due to America’s failings.
As an American, all I can say is thank God for the UK. We don’t have to perspective of being bombarded and needing help. If you have experienced that, then you will see things in a different light.
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Here is what I post on social media:
“Why give aid to help stop Russian soldiers from raping little girls until there is nothing between their vagina and anus? Why help stop the torture and other war crimes? Well, when Ukraine gave up an arsenal of nuclear weapons for the whole planet’s safety, we said we would.”
(character limit sorry)
Then, when the 1 in 100 challenges and says what is the proof, I can only point to the UN investigations which are old and incomplete.
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And with the news that the US is paying for Ukrainian first responders, I can show a picture of child who survived a missile attack and say:
“Given that Ukraine did surrender nukes in exchange for assistance guarantees, and that Russians are targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, I am not upset that US tax money paid the responders to help this guy after a missile attack.”
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But all of Ukrainian posts saying Biden needs a nap, has no balls, is weak etc are not going to convince anyone they should give their money to help someone else. They need to know the reason and mainstream US media isn’t really covering it that much. Social media is controlled by trolls.
The UK is the only effective Ukrainian advocate today I think. I say it again, thank God for the UK.
Your claim that Biden can’t say anything to convince the American people that defeating mafia land is strategically important to us is plain wrong. Maybe the ones with the thickest skulls will refuse to accept facts, but you cannot know what the majority will think or feel like.
Fact is, a majority of Americans are for continuing aid to Ukraine. The latest number I have is 67%. The numbers for Republicans are lower and for Democrats are higher, but in the average, this is what it is.
This number can and should be raised, but for this to happen, the American people should be told straight out why this is so important for us. Biden has utterly failed to do so.
For starters, Biden could help Ukraine’s cause by closing down our damned border once and for all, before he addresses the nation. This would also help us as a nation, and, not to be underestimated, his own re-election efforts.
This is what I would do if I were Biden. But, Biden is stubborn, probably due to his age. He’ll keep our borders open, which gives his opponents a wide open flank to attack him from. He will also continue to fail in communicating with the American people about Ukraine, leaving it up to the few in the media landscape and think tanks to educate the people. But, many of our fellow Americans are too lazy and too stupid to read such reports and to form their own opinions. They will rather listen to morons like Gaetz and Taylor-Greene and the trumpet.
The evidence of russian war crimes is huge and thick. Only a complete moron can ignore this anymore. Besides that, it’s still possible to travel to Ukraine. Anyone can do so to convince himself or herself first hand of what’s going on there. Of course, the vast majority won’t do so, but this only proves what hypocrites they are and how much they enjoy swallowing russian propaganda shit. It’s a fact that there will always be hopeless cases. It’s impossible to convince all the people all the time.
“Russian disinformation campaigns on social media are vast.”
That’s true; I’ve even had friends repeating Russian disinformation about “billions for Ukraine, but victims of Maui fire only get $700.” I explain about FEMAs’ Critical Needs Assistance program, that FEMA is part of the Department of Homeland Security – unrelated to the military / Department of Defense and with different funding streams. I also point out that this is almost exactly what happened with the East Palestine, Ohio, railway disaster in February 2023. Then, pro-Russian accounts promptly began to argue that the Biden administration was ignoring a disaster at home—when emergency personnel were on the ground immediately—in order to fund Ukraine’s war against Russia’s invasion.
The X (Twitter) account that seeded the “Hawaii, not Ukraine” narrative was created around the time of the fire, and accounts associated with both Russia and China are amplifying the narrative that Biden has neglected Maui.
Unfortunately, there are many MAGAts that are happy to spread anything negative about Biden, without caring if it’s true.
With superior artillery, missiles, and methodologies, the AFU will continue picking away at mafia materiel, increasing the ratio of such weapons and ammo in favor of Ukraine.
I think during and after the war, all Russians involved in the war, either directly in combat or people producing drones for the Russian army or spreading propaganda, should be eliminated.
Can’t wait for a giant military parade of the AFU in Moscow, ending with the complete destruction of the Kremlin.