Mikhail Khodaryonok, a military analyst and former colonel, denies lying about the Ukrainian army’s “low morale”. As the number of former soldiers openly criticizing the Department of Defense: “The operation is a failure” grows
So far, Russian propaganda on Russian state television has had an extremely aggressive profile. But something seems to have changed in Moscow, especially in the last few days.
In the last few hours, during the most popular Russian talk show, Mikhail Khodaryonok – a former colonel and now an expert on military affairs – surprised everyone by saying that the information that speaks of the demoralization of Ukrainian troops is “false” and in fact it is Ukrainians are “very motivated and willing to die for their country” (whose very existence has been questioned by Putin), and that Russia is “in a position of total geopolitical isolation,” with countries like India and China “which are not are completely on our side.” “As much as we hate to admit it, the whole world is against us,” he said, adding that “the situation is only going to get worse.”
His position – expressed in terms of the stage most followed by the Russian public: almost as if he wants to “lower” Russian expectations of a “special operation” that has not gone according to plan so far – ranks with the a small but a growing handful of ex-soldiers who are now openly criticizing not the commander-in-chief but General Shoigu – his defense minister.
On May 13, Igor Girkin — former commander of the pro-Russian forces in Donbass — directed fiery words at the Moscow defense owner: “I at least directly accuse Shoigu of criminal negligence,” he said in a video that appeared on his Telegram channel . “I have no evidence to accuse him of treason as well, but I suspect so.”
Girkin – also known as “Strelkov”, “sniper” – faces murder charges in the Netherlands for his alleged role in the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over the skies of Ukraine in 2014: his criticism was “from the right” , urging Putin to increase Russia’s military presence at war by increasing troops and assets on the ground.
In recent weeks, Chechen Ramzan Kadyrov has positioned himself in the same way, while on May 10 a former Kremlin mercenary, Marat Gabidullin von Wagner, told Reuters that Russian troops had been sent to Ukraine without proper training.
Gabidullin had taken part in Wagner’s expeditions to Ukraine before leaving the group in 2019.
Below the video.
May 17, 2022 (Modified May 17, 2022 | 1:26 PM)
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