Criticism of Western weapons
Putin downplays Ukrainian counteroffensive
September 12, 2023, 12:37 p.m
Shortly before his meeting with North Korean President Kim Jong Un, Kremlin boss Putin was happy to provide information at an economic forum. Ukraine’s counteroffensive is of no use, Kiev is suffering high losses, he says. Western arms deliveries are still a thorn in his side.
More than a year and a half after the start of the war of aggression he ordered, Russian President Vladimir Putin has once again denied Ukraine any success in its counteroffensive. “Ukraine is carrying out a so-called counter-offensive. Of course there are no results,” Putin said at the economic forum in the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok. In fact, the Ukrainian army had only recently liberated the village of Robotyne in the south and then reported further, smaller gains in territory. Things are still progressing, albeit more slowly, said Colonel Reisner in an interview with ntv.de. The Ukrainian combat units are currently consolidating and bringing fresh forces to the front.
At the same time, Putin declared that Russia would continue its military operations as long as the Ukrainian counteroffensive was ongoing. Moscow’s condition for possible negotiations is the recognition of several territories annexed in violation of international law as Russian. The attacked Ukraine, for which this is completely unacceptable, wants to liberate all occupied territories – including the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed in 2014 – with Western help. In return, the attacked country is demanding further deliveries of weapons and ammunition from international allies.
The Kremlin boss, in turn, criticizes them. The delivery of cluster munitions and projectiles with depleted uranium is a crime, said Putin in Vladivostok. Russia, for its part, has already used cluster munitions in Ukraine. A delivery of F-16 fighter jets will not change anything, but will only prolong the conflict. Putin also explains that the Russian domestic secret service FSB captured Ukrainian saboteurs who wanted to damage nuclear power plants. The saboteurs were instructed by British intelligence services. This is worrying and could have serious consequences.
Weapons negotiations with North Korea
However, Russia is apparently taking initiatives of its own to obtain additional weapons and ammunition. Putin’s appearance in Vladivostok is therefore the focus of attention because the Kremlin boss later wanted to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. There was speculation that the meeting, which was also expected to discuss arms deals, could take place directly on the sidelines of the economic forum.
Western experts also have serious doubts that Russia has a sufficient number of well-trained soldiers. Putin also countered these assessments, saying that 1,000 to 1,500 Russians were currently signing contracts to voluntarily join the military every day. In the past six or seven months there were a total of 270,000 volunteers. Putin confidant and former President Dmitri Medvedev recently mentioned the number 280,000. The Kremlin has repeatedly stated that forced recruitment is not necessary.
In addition, Ukraine suffered significant losses, Putin continued. According to the Russian news agency Tass, Putin gave the figure of 71,500 soldiers. Since he is said to have spoken of “casualties”, it is unclear whether he only meant killed soldiers or also injured Ukrainians. Both Russia and Ukraine rarely release official figures on their own losses. The information about victims of the respective war opponents is certainly clearly overestimated on both sides. However, the figures from Western experts also vary widely.