An M109 155 mm howitzer fires at Russian positions near the occupied Ukrainian city of Bakhmut on August 17, 2023, in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. Roman Chop/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
- A former Russian general said “lies” obscure the reality that Ukrainian troops are gaining ground.
- Gurulyov confirmed that Ukraine was preparing to clear minefields and use counter-drone strikes.
- His Telegram message also said that the Russian victory was being prevented by “lies” and “false reporting.”
A former Russian general acknowledged that Ukrainian troops are gaining ground on the battlefield and warned that lies and hoaxes in the highest ranks of the military are preventing Moscow from achieving victory.
On Friday morning, Russian MP and former deputy commander of the Southern Military District Andrey Gurulyov posted a message on Telegram assessing the state of Ukraine’s counteroffensive, more than three months after Kiev officially began its push against sprawling defenses in Russia’s east and south . His arguments were in stark contrast to the victoriousness and censorship that often characterize Russian war commentary.
Gurulyov wrote that Ukrainian troops have changed their combat tactics, “have a lot of ammunition” and are “trying to burn out absolutely everything,” according to a translation.
“They no longer advance in large forces; “They were obviously forbidden from losing heavy equipment en masse,” he said, noting that the Ukrainians “have resorted to squeeze-out tactics” and are “massively using cluster grenades to inflict damage on the strengths of our units.”
“The situation is forcing our troops to retreat deeper,” Gurulyov added.
The ex-general’s comments provide a sharp Russian view of increasing counter-offensive battles to overcome Russia’s tough defenses, particularly the complex Surovikin defense line south of Orichiv, a city in the southern Zaporizhzhia region. In late August and early this month, Kiev forces made a major breakthrough in the region, aiming to cut a line all the way down to the Sea of Azov and split the Russian-occupied country in half.
It also adds weight to reports that Ukraine has learned to clear Russia’s dense minefields, which posed a major obstacle early in the counteroffensive, and has “plenty of drones” that it can use both in counter-drone combat at the front and deeper in the front can effectively deploy on Russian territory.
A Ukrainian soldier from the 42nd Separate Mechanized Brigade camouflages the muzzle of a tank in eastern Ukraine, Sept. 11, 2023. Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
Gurulyov also points out that Ukraine is managing to deter the helicopter gunships that had hindered its early advance. They have “created conditions that make the use of anti-tank missiles by our helicopters impossible,” Gurulyov wrote, and they have used shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles such as the U.S.-made Stingers to attack Russian attack helicopters.
Gurulyov, a member of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party, previously shared a Russian general’s report that his troops were losing ground in artillery battles, a warning that would prove prescient.
In his Telegram message, Gurulyov warned of a state of war. While assuring that Russian troops are stronger and will persevere, adapt and win, he added: “Victory will be separated from us only by one serious problem – lies. Yes, there is less of it than at the beginning of the SMO, but it is there.”
SMO refers to a “special military operation,” the euphemism Russia has used for its large-scale, devastating invasion of Ukraine, now in its 19th month.
“False reports unfortunately lead to poor decisions on many levels,” Gurulyov added, suggesting that Ukraine’s progress and the reasons behind it may not be reported up the chain of command, preventing an appropriate response. This is a problem that has plagued the Russian leadership since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.
Gurulyov previously made headlines for sharing an audio message from a senior Russian general in which he said he had been fired from his post after questioning Defense Ministry decisions and raising concerns about the lack of counter-battery fighting and mass casualties on the Russian side had expressed.
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