Russian army losses are so high that the Kremlin has resorted to recruiting soldiers who have been retired for a decade.
At least 15,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in Ukraine, for a total of 40,000 wounded, killed or captured since Putin’s invasion began on February 24.
British Defense Ministry intelligence said Ukraine had killed so many of Putin’s soldiers that Moscow was looking for additional troops.
The Kremlin has even started recruiting from Russian-occupied Transnistria in Moldova.
Servicemen of the pro-Russian forces drive an armored vehicle on a road outside the southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine, during the conflict between Ukraine and Russia April 10
Ukrainian forces fire GRAD missiles at Russian positions in Donbass, Ukraine on April 10
British Defense Ministry intelligence said Ukraine had killed so many of Putin’s soldiers that Moscow was looking for additional troops
The UK Ministry of Defense said: “In response to mounting casualties, the Russian armed forces are attempting to bolster troop levels with personnel discharged from military service since 2012.
“Efforts to increase combat effectiveness include trying to recruit from the unrecognized region of Transnistria in Moldova.”
Ukraine has pushed the death toll in Russia to 20,000 and the Kremlin’s top spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, admitted last week that there were “significant casualties” which were “a tragedy for us”.
On Sunday, President Zelenskyy accused Russia of cowardice and warned Ukrainians in the east of the country to expect “even bigger operations” from Russia.
Russian troops have withdrawn from Kyiv in recent days, while Moscow turns its sights on eastern Ukraine, traditionally home to more pro-separatists.
It could be an attempt by Putin to secure a victory on the battlefield before May 9 so that he can celebrate it at Russia’s annual Victory Day Parade in Moscow.
On Sunday, President Zelenskyy accused Russia of cowardice and warned Ukrainians in the east of the country that Russia would undertake “even bigger operations”.
He said: “They can use more missiles against us, more aerial bombs.
“But we are preparing for their actions. we will answer
Russian army losses are so high that the Kremlin has resorted to recruiting soldiers who have been retired for a decade
“They say about the murders in Bucha that it’s not them, but supposedly us.
“Do you know why that is? Because it is cowardice.”
He added: “They are afraid to admit that Russia’s entire policy towards Ukraine for decades has been wrong.”
“They stripped themselves of all political instruments and started this war because they were not willing to give up unrealistic ambitions.”
“It all came out of cowardice. As cowardice grows, it becomes a disaster.
“When people lack the courage to admit their mistakes, to apologize, to conform to reality, to learn, they turn into monsters.
“And when the world ignores it, the monsters decide it’s the world that has to adapt to them.”
“Ukraine will stop all this.”
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhaylo Podolyak told national television that “Ukraine is ready for major battles” against Putin’s forces.
Satellite images have emerged of a massive convoy of Russian tanks and artillery heading towards besieged areas of eastern Ukraine as both sides prepare for a brutal new phase in the war
This satellite image released by Maxar Technologies shows a large military convoy made up of hundreds of vehicles (including armored vehicles, trucks with towed artillery and support equipment) moving on April 8
He said: “Ukraine must win them, including in Donbass.
“Once this happens, Ukraine will have a stronger negotiating position.
“Then the Presidents will meet. It could be two weeks, three.”
Horrifying satellite images have shown hundreds of Russian armored vehicles heading for a major confrontation with Ukrainian troops that could decide the outcome of the war.
The bodies of 132 civilians were found shot dead at a new Russian war crimes site in Ukraine, officials said today. Pictured: Workers remove debris from a destroyed building in the region west of Kyiv, April 8, 2022
Bodies of civilians who, according to the village chief, were killed by Russian soldiers during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, lie on the ground after police exhumed them from a well at the gas station in Buzova
A Ukrainian soldier stands amidst destroyed Russian tanks in Bucha on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday April 6, 2022
Police officers are working to identify civilians killed during the Russian occupation in Bucha, Ukraine, on the outskirts of Kyiv, before burying the bodies on Wednesday, April 6
Ukrainian investigators exhume bodies from a mass grave on April 8, 2022 at the site of St. Andrew’s Church in the city of Bucha, northwest of Kyiv
A damaged car stands between an apartment building destroyed by shells on April 7 in Makariv. According to reports, 40 percent of the city was destroyed
A residential building destroyed by shelling on April 7, 2022 in Makariv, Ukraine
A Russian airstrike hit Kramatorsk train station on Friday, with graphic images showing bodies strewn on the ground outside and between abandoned luggage
Grainy images showed a column of trucks, some hauling artillery, stretching more than eight miles through Russian-held territory.
The convoy heads for eastern Ukraine, where decisive battles are expected.
Tens of thousands of Russian troops are en route to the Luhansk and Donetsk regions—collectively known as Donbass.
The Kremlin is seeking victory there to justify its “military special operation” which has failed to capture major cities.
According to Western officials, Russian commanders believe the Donbass represents their best chance of success.