Russian troops slam generals over ‘incomprehensible battle’ that reportedly killed 300 in Donetsk

CNN
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The Russian military denounced a “Incomprehensible battle” in Donetsk after apparently suffering heavy losses in a week of intense fighting in eastern key area of the Ukraine.

Moscow has been trying to break through Kyiv’s defenses around the town of Pavlivka for at least the past seven days, but seems to have made no progress with 300 men killed in action, according to an open letter obtained by Reuters. published in a famous Russian newspaper. military blog on Monday.

The men of the 155th Brigade of Russia’s Pacific Fleet have unleashed harsh criticism against a senior Russian official in a rare show of defiance, accusing the administration of “hiding” the number of casualties “for fear of being responsible”.

The letter, sent from the front lines to a Russian regional governor, comes amid a shake-up Moscow offensive in the region that President Vladimir Putin has claimed to have. illegal annexation just over a month ago.

“We were once again thrown into an unfathomable battle by General Muradov and his brother-in-law, compatriot Akhmedov, so that Muradov would earn a bounty to make him look good in Gerasimov’s eyes. chief of staff of Russia),” the men said in the memo, addressed to the governor of Primorsky Krai.

“As a result of the ‘carefully planned’ attack by the ‘great commanders’, we have lost about 300 men, dead and wounded, along with several MIAs in the past four days.

“We lost 50% of our equipment. It was our brigade alone. The district commander along with Akhmedov is hiding these facts and falsifying the official casualty statistics for fear of being held accountable.”

They begged Governor Oleg Kozhemyako: “Mediocrity like Muradov and Akhmedov will be allowed to continue planning military action just to show up and win the prize at the expense of so many lives. People?”

Russian military commentators have also criticized the approach of the army in Donetsk.

“The situation in Pavlivka has been discussed at the highest level for several days, and the blood has not stopped,” said Aleksandr Sladkov, a Russian military journalist working for All-Russian State Television and Radio. on Telegram.

Russian military journalist Alexey Sukonkin posted on Telegram: “Soldiers say there is a dilemma now: exhausted units cannot be withdrawn without new ones being brought in. .

“Why do we retreat from Pavlivka and have to retake it now?” Aleksander Khodakovsky, a Russian-backed commander from the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, said in criticizing Moscow’s tactical approach to the region.

Mr. Khodakovsky said that the Russian military used the basements as defensive positions, which means they did not see Ukrainian troops moving on their flanks.

“That’s why quite a few marines, including the company captain, were taken prisoner. Not because they were mentally weak, but because they were held hostage by their defensive organization,” Khodakovsky said, adding that Ukrainian scouts used tall buildings in nearby Vuhledar and mounted fixed cameras on top of mine shafts to guide the artillery. strikes.

“The defenders of Pavlivka will be taken hostage again. Supply and rotation will be difficult, it will be impossible to move through Pavlivka,” he said.

CNN could not verify how many soldiers signed the letter or their ranks, but Governor Kozhemyako confirmed that he received a letter from the unit.

“We have been communicating with our Marine commanders on the front lines. These are the guys who have been at war since the beginning of the operation,” the governor said on Telegram.

Kozhemyako added that the combat commander emphasized that the (Primorsky) death was greatly exaggerated.

“I also know first of all that our warriors showed at Pavlivka, as during the entire special military operation, true heroism and unprecedented courage. We inflicted heavy damage on the enemy.”

Kozhemyako said the soldiers’ complaint was sent to the army prosecutor’s office.

The Russian Defense Ministry has issued a rare public response to criticism of the military operation in Donetsk, denying that its forces have suffered “severe, senseless loss of people and equipment” “.

Russian losses in the Vuhledar and Pavlivka regions of the Donetsk region “did not exceed 1% of the combat strength and 7% of the wounded, a significant part of which was returned to duty”, the ministry stated. announced on Monday, Russian state media claimed. TASS agency reported.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the fierce battle in Donetsk “remains at the heart of the occupiers’ greatest frenzy” and dismissed Kozhemyako’s claims that Moscow’s losses were “not so great”.

“They are dying hundreds of them every day,” Zelensky added. “The ground in front of the Ukrainian positions is littered with the bodies of the occupiers.”

Noting that the governor was about 9,000 kilometers (about 5,500 miles) from the front line, Zelensky said: “The governor can see more clearly from there how many troops and in what ways are being sent to slaughter from there. its area. Or he was simply ordered to lie.”

Social media and drone videos over the past few days show several other Russian tanks and armored vehicles being attacked around Pavlivka, about 50 kilometers southwest of Donetsk, and been on the front lines for several months.

The Ukrainian military has released footage showing two Russian T-72B tanks and three BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles being attacked by Ukrainian artillery and anti-tank systems, with senior officials repelling the Heavy artillery attack in the area.

“The enemy is losing the opportunity to carry out their plans,” Oleksii Hromov, deputy director of the Ukrainian General Staff of Operations, said on Thursday.