https://archive.li/Z0m5m

The Russian commander of the “Vostok” Battalion fighting in southern Ukraine said on Thursday that Ukraine will not be defeated and suggested that Russia freeze the war along current frontlines.

Alexander Khodakovsky made the candid concession yesterday on his Telegram channel after Russian forces, including his own troops, were devastatingly defeated by Ukrainian marines earlier this week at Urozhaine in the Zaporizhzhia-Donetsk regional border area.

“Can we bring down Ukraine militarily? Now and in the near future, no,” Khodakovsky, a former official of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, said yesterday.

“When I talk to myself about our destiny in this war, I mean that we will not crawl forward, like the [Ukrainians], turning everything into [destroyed] Bakhmuts in our path. And, I do not foresee the easy occupation of cities,” he said.

  • nat_turner_overdrive [he/him]
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    2311 months ago

    I’m pretty sure once Ukraine has thrown away enough lives trying to get to the first line of defense, Russia is going to use their mobilized army to roll up the coast line all the way up to Transnistria.

    • ☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆
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      2111 months ago

      I absolutely love the incomprehension on the part of liberals of why Russia didn’t just throw freshly mobilized troops into a meat grinder the way Ukraine is doing. Instead, they sensibly spent the time building multi-layer defences, and training the troops knowing that the west would push Ukraine into the offensive in order to justify all the spending.

    • @Tester@lemm.ee
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      1011 months ago

      And this is based on the overwhelming success of the current Russian attempts?

        • Frank [he/him, he/him]
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          811 months ago

          They probably won’t have an 18-35 year old men under their control, either. I’m kind of surprised they can still find people willing to die for this bullshit.

          • SoyViking [he/him]
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            11 months ago

            There’s a reason why they’re kidnapping men off the streets and press-ganging them to fight for the Kiev regime. The slava ukraini epic marvel stuff is not making enough people volunteer to go die in a minefield.

        • @Tester@lemm.ee
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          711 months ago

          I’m willing to take that bet. Just like Russia will take Kiev in 3 days. Just like Ukraine would be under Russian control in a matter of months. Just like many other Russian PR predictions, worthless.

        • SeborrheicDermatitis [any]
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          511 months ago

          I would bet you £10 (or dollar equivalent) that this will not happen, to be donated to a charity of the other’s choice, honestly. Absolutely no chance Russia takes Odessa and reaches the Romanian border.

          • nat_turner_overdrive [he/him]
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            2911 months ago

            What is it with liberals and making bets they absolutely will not honor? Two redditors already owe me donations because they predicted Russia would be pushed back over the Russian border within six months, back in mid-2022. You should donate to any charity you like instead of whatever weird shit this is.

            • SeborrheicDermatitis [any]
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              711 months ago

              I don’t have £10 spare right now I’m really struggling sorry, but I plan on having it in a year God Willing. I would’ve done it but the point is I am certain of it not coming to pass.

              PS I am not a liberal, how dare you >:(

                • SeborrheicDermatitis [any]
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                  411 months ago

                  I think that is a pretty clear misrepresentation. I was simply saying in a dramatic way that the notion of Russia occupying Odessa and the land all the way down to the Romanian border is outlandish.

    • @BigNote@lemm.ee
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      711 months ago

      I’ll put it on the giant pile of overconfident predictions about Russian military prowess that we already have. Kiev in 3 days, amirite?

      • Riffraffintheroom [none/use name]
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        11 months ago

        I mean marching a bunch of barely-trained 50 year old conscripts into known killzones or over minefields is absolutely throwing those lives away.

      • nat_turner_overdrive [he/him]
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        11 months ago

        A few weeks of NATO training and then sending them into minefields without sufficient artillery support or any air support at all is absolutely, 100%, throwing away lives. Particularly since anybody not huffing their own farts has known from day one that Russia would be able to keep any land they really want, there is no path to victory for Ukraine and there never has been without direct NATO intervention.

        • ☆ Yσɠƚԋσʂ ☆
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          1411 months ago

          And this is precisely how NATO likes it, as long as Ukraine isn’t part of NATO then there is no obligation for NATO to get involved directly. They can just keep the proxy war going as long as they see it beneficial, and then cut and run when it burns itself out.