Topline
The White House accused Russia on Thursday of “executing soldiers to refuse to follow orders” during its invasion of Ukraine, the latest allegation of dysfunction in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military in its war against Ukraine.
In this grab taken from video released by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on December 22, … [+]
Key Facts
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby also said in a press briefing Thursday the U.S. has information that “Russian commanders are threatening to execute entire units if they seek to retreat from Ukrainian artillery.”
He believes Russia has “suffered thousands of casualties” in its latest offensive, “some of them on the orders of their own leaders.”
He called Russia’s troops “undertrained, underequipped and unprepared for combat.”
Russia appears to be using “human wave tactics,” of “just throwing masses of these poorly trained soldiers right into the fight, no proper equipment, no leadership, no resourcing, no support,” he said.
Forbes has reached out to the Russian embassy in Washington, DC for comment.
Crucial Quote
Kirby said this behavior further reiterates that “Russia continues to show no regard for the lives of its soldiers.” He called these executions “reprehensible,” “barbaric” and “a symptom of how poorly Russia’s military leaders know they’re doing and how bad they have handled this from a military perspective.”
Contra
Despite this alleged dysfunction within the Russian military ranks, Kirby called Russia’s latest offensive “a sobering reminder that President Putin is not giving up on his aspirations to take all of Ukraine.” He said President Joe Biden’s recently proposed supplemental Ukraine aid package needs to move through Congress quickly, explaining “time clearly is not on our side or on that of Ukraine.”
Key Background
In the year and a half since Russian forces invaded Ukraine, attempting to overthrow the government and take military control, Ukrainian forces have recaptured 54% of the territory Russia was able to conquer, according to the Council on Foreign Relations’ Global Conflict Tracker. Russia now occupies 18% of Ukraine—parts of the country were taken by Russia or pro-Russian separatists beginning in 2014, and other territories were seized since early 2022. In June, Ukrainian forces launched a counter-offensive aimed at retaking some of the eastern Ukrainian territory seized by Russia, though the effort has not been as successful as leadership had hoped and it has dragged out months longer than anticipated.
Further Reading
Ukraine’s Territorials Need Tanks. They’re Getting Them … From Russia. (Forbes)
Biden Asks Congress For $105 Billion In Emergency Funding For Israel, Ukraine (Forbes)
Russian Troops Are Packing Homemade Mortars. Expect Accidental Explosions. (Forbes)
U.S. Transferring Thousands Of Seized Iranian Weapons To Ukraine (Forbes)
Ukraine Detains Woman For Planning Assassination Attempt On Zelensky (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/willskipworth/2023/10/26/russia-executing-its-own-soldiers-who-disobey-orders-in-ukraine-white-house-alleges/