In his overnight video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on members of the Russian government to overthrow President Vladimir Putin. Otherwise, they would all be scapegoated and killed one by one by the Kremlin chief in the face of the Russian army’s defeats, he warned. Meanwhile, Putin’s popularity in Russia is declining.
“This week Ukrainian flags have been hoisted again in Donbass. there will be more next week,” Zelenskyj said. This is the first warning shot to be heard at all levels of the Russian government, the Ukrainian president said.
‘War is a historic mistake for Russia’
“Until you solve the problem with whoever started this senseless war, they will all be killed one by one and made scapegoats for not wanting to admit that this war is a historic mistake for Russia,” Zelenskyy said in a statement. the video published on Saturday night (see above).
British intelligence estimates that the Russians suffered heavy casualties while withdrawing from the strategically important town of Lyman. Many soldiers are said to have died when they withdrew via the only road out of Lyman that was still under Russian control. Ukraine had previously spoken of about 5,000 Russian soldiers surrounded. So far, however, there is no concrete information about the number of deaths and prisoners.
Withdrawal ordered by Putin according to experts
Experts at the renowned American think tank Institute for the Study of War “almost certainly” see the withdrawal as a conscious decision by Putin. According to an initial analysis, it was not the military commandos who decided not to reinforce the front lines near the cities of Kupyansk or Lyman, but the president himself. This indicates that Putin wants to focus more on securing strategic areas in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhya regions.
Putin’s popularity in Russia is declining
Meanwhile, Putin’s popularity in Russia is declining. According to British investigative journalist Catherine Belton, the reason for this is the partial mobilization that the Kremlin chief “didn’t really want,” the Russia expert said in an interview with the APA. According to the author of the bestseller “Putin’s Net”, most Russians are only willing to go to war. However, they are often poorly educated and not as motivated as their Ukrainian opponents, who are fighting for their country’s freedom.
Young Russians don’t want to go to war
Because the lives of many Russians are now threatened, the resistance is growing rapidly. People now have the choice to either stand up to the war, protest and possibly go to jail for it, or be sent to Ukraine and eventually die there. Young Russians in particular do not want to wage war against Ukraine.
Another problem for the Kremlin is that there are now “patriotic troops” in the FSB domestic secret service who see Putin as an increasing threat to their country. There are certainly people there who can envision renewed cooperation with the West and even more integration after a regime change. According to expert Belton, many young Russians also harbored hopes that relations with Europe and the US would return to normal.
Ukraine speaks of 60,000 Russian cases
The unpopular partial mobilization had become necessary as the Russian side suffered more and more losses. Referring to information from the Foreign Office in London, Belton spoke of up to 40,000 Russian soldiers killed in the meantime. More than 60,000 Russians have been killed in the fighting so far on Sunday, according to the Ukrainian General Staff (see above).
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
