Russian forces are “executing soldiers” trying to withdraw from a new bloody offensive in eastern Ukraine, suffering significant casualties, the White House said Thursday.
“We have information that the Russian military is executing soldiers who refuse to follow orders,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said at a news conference.
The US official indicated that Washington is also in possession of information that “Russian commanders are threatening to execute entire units if they try to escape Ukrainian artillery fire,” although he did not provide details or how this data reached Washington.
The industrial city of Avdiivka, located in Donetsk province, has been the target of heavy attacks in recent weeks by Russian forces, who are trying to encircle the city at the cost of heavy casualties.
“The Russian military appears to be using what we would call human wave tactics,” in which hundreds or even thousands of fighters move toward one point at the same time, creating a mass effect that is difficult for enemies to control, Kirby said, reporting numerous casualties . of Moscow soldiers.
“It is therefore not surprising that the Russian armed forces are plagued by low morale,” the National Security Council spokesperson argued.
The information released by the White House comes on the same day that Ukrainian forces claimed 5,000 casualties from Moscow forces near the cities of Avdiivka and Maryinka in the past two weeks, and also indicates that Russian soldiers are refusing to fight.
“Since October 10, the enemy has lost more than five thousand people in the Avdiivka and Maryinka sectors, including dead and wounded [em combate]. We can also say that the number of armored vehicles [russos perdidos] approaching 400,” said Oleksandr Stupun, spokesman for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as quoted by the Ukrainian digital daily Euromaidan.
Stupun stated that Russian forces are trying to withdraw and redistribute reserves from other areas and send them to the Avdiivka sector, but fighters from Storm-Z units in particular are refusing to fight, the spokesman said.
According to the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), which monitors developments in the military situation in Ukraine, Russian forces continued to conduct offensive operations near Avdiivka on Wednesday and made progress.
That same day, statements from Russian Defense Minister Serguei Shoigu were released during an inspection of a command post in eastern Ukraine, stating that his army was exhausting Ukrainian forces.
“The current situation shows that the enemy has fewer and fewer opportunities. And these will become smaller and smaller thanks to your exceptional combat efforts,” Shoigu told soldiers in the Donetsk region, according to the Defense Ministry, which did not give the date. of the visit.
On Tuesday, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Office of the President of Ukraine, said that Ukrainian forces continued to resist strong Russian attacks and that the battle for Avdiivka was decisive.
‘There have been many, but I think this one [Avdiivka] is one of the most important. It is Russia’s last attempt to take the initiative at the front,” the adviser said.
The head of the Ukrainian military administration in the area, Vitali Barabash, confirmed on the same day that the Russians were “mobilizing large infantry and armored forces.”
“The losses are brutal, but that does not stop them. The attack continues. They are advancing like crazy, they are falling in dozens and after a while they return. There are many of them,” he noted.
The Russian military offensive on Ukrainian territory, launched on February 24 last year, plunged Europe into what is considered the worst security crisis since World War II (1939-1945).
Source: DN
