20 Nov, 2024 13:21

‘Almost no chance of survival’ – ex-top Ukrainian general to troops

Frontline conditions demand a kill-or-be-killed mentality, Valery Zaluzhny has told soldiers

Ukrainian troops currently being trained in the UK to fight Russia must steel themselves to face death and kill without a second thought, Kiev's ambassador in London, Valery Zaluzny has told the soldiers. The four-star general previously served as commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces.

The speech that Zaluzhny gave at a bootcamp in southern Englandwas shared by The Sun on Tuesday, after the tabloid joined the official’s tour of the military facility. British Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard accompanied the Ukrainian general-turned-diplomat.

”Remember that the war is becoming more cruel with every day. It leaves almost no chance for survival,” Zaluzhny warned the trainees.“Learn not to be afraid of death.”

He urged the troops to develop military camaraderie, to become brothers on the battlefield, and to look after each other.

”It’s not enough to save yourself and your friend, your brother,” he stated.“You still need to complete the task. To do this, you will need to kill. To kill without hesitation.”

“Love each other and remember Ukraine. If you are gone, maybe someone else will take your place, but Ukraine will be preserved,” Zaluzhny added.

In February, Zaluzhny was removed from his military position and later from the armed forces altogether. Vladimir Zelensky sacked him after the general publicly disputed the Ukrainian leader’s vision on how the fight against Russia should proceed. Zaluzhny argued at the time that the conflict had reached a stalemate and Ukrainian forces should entrench. Thebalance has since swung in favour of Russia, whose troops have made significant progress in recent months.

The UK is among the staunchest supporters of Kiev’s bid to achieve a military victory against Russia. Former prime minister Boris Johnson infamously told the Ukrainians to “just fight,”after Kiev and Moscow agreed a draft truce in 2022. TheBritish military has trained over 50,000 Ukrainian soldiersso far, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.

Zelensky dispatched Zaluzhny to the embassy in London in May. Some people suggested the appointment was intended to remove the popular ex-military leader as a potential political rival.

https://www.rt.com/russia/607935-zaluzhny-speech-troops-britain/

20 Nov, 2024 12:16

Russian howitzer crew strikes Ukrainian drone team – MOD (VIDEO)

The engagement took place near the Dnieper River, where Kiev struggled to secure a foothold earlier this year

A Russian self-propelled Msta-Bhowitzer has wiped out a Ukrainian drone crew hiding insidean abandoned building in Kherson, the Defense Ministry in Moscow reported on Wednesday.

The purported attack was captured in a video released by the military, showcasing what it claims is the ongoing battle in Kakhovka district, near a now-defunct dam on the Dnieper River.

On Monday, the Russian ministry published a similar clip, showing a smaller towable D-30 artillery gun striking a mortar position on the right bank of the river.

The Dnieper serves as a natural barrier between territories controlled by Moscow and Kiev, preventing close-range clashes or the capture of land by either side. Elsewhere onthe front line, Russian forces are reportedly advancing at a rapid pace.

Earlier this week, Ukrainian newspaper Ukrainskaya Pravda published an expose documenting the challenges of cross-river operations by ground troops.It revealed new details about Kiev’s attempts to hold onto the village of Krynky,which is located on the left bank of the Dnieper, roughly 20km west of the Kakhovka dam. Kiev first sent forces to secure the foothold in autumn last year and maintained a presence there for months, until fully withdrawing in July.

The amphibious mission was backed by Britain, which trained Ukrainian marines for it and touted it as Ukraine’s answer to the Allied landing in Normandy during World War II. However, sources told the newspaper that it could not have succeeded.

”The ultimate goal was like going into space:reaching Crimea. We were told that we only need to break through the first line of defense… and there will be no second one,” they said.

In the end, Ukraine’s newly created Marine Corps had some initial successes, but didn’t receive as much artillery and logistical support as it was promised. By winter, the troops got bogged down in an unfavorable position that their commanders refused to abandon for months, the report claimed.

Thestory appears to supportwhat Russian President Vladimir Putin said in March, when heaccused Kiev of “sending men into the meatgrinder… just to get slaughtered” in Krynky.

Kiev does not publish details of military casualties, but Ukrainian media previously claimed that more than 700 troops had been reported missing in Krynky.

https://www.rt.com/russia/607920-russian-howitzer-attack-video/