Main points
- Ukrainian special services continue to conduct successful operations deep behind enemy lines, inflicting inevitable losses on Russia.
- The Russian army has recorded mass desertions, brutality and cannibalism, indicating systemic problems and demoralization.
- The enemy is trying to advance during the summer campaign, but has achieved virtually no results.
- Russia's economic woes are forcing Putin to cut military spending, which could push him to negotiate a ceasefire with Ukraine in the future.
Russian military shocks the entire civilized world not only with cruelty to the enemy, but also to each other. In particular, Ukrainian intelligence officers intercepted a conversation between occupiers that is more reminiscent of a horror detective story. A serviceman of the Russian army, who was considered missing, was eaten by his “brother”.
Retired British Army Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon also noted in an interview with Channel 24 that bandits, murderers and even cannibals, who are now in the ranks of Putin's army, are a direct path to its collapse. Read more about a number of terrible problems in the Russian army, Ukraine's special operation and Putin's defeat in the Middle East in the article below.
What is the peculiarity of the new stage of the war?
Ukraine destroyed 4 Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers at the Marinovka airfield in the Volgograd region using drones. The operation was carried out by special forces of the Security Service of Ukraine. What is your opinion about Ukraine's latest actions deep in Russian territory?
I think this is a very important operation. A few weeks ago we talked about Operation Spider Web, a similar mission deep in Russia's rear to destroy strategic facilities. Ukraine has once again proven that it is capable of this.
These aircraft (Su-34 – 24 Kanal) are strategically important for the Russian military campaign. They are extremely expensive and very difficult to replace. This shows how difficult it is to carry out such an attack: it required considerable effort, precise reconnaissance and extraordinary courage.
That Ukraine continues to strike deep into Russia is shocking to us, the supporters of Ukraine. For the Russians themselves, this should be a serious blow.
Full interview with retired British Army Colonel: Watch video
Just look at the US strike on Iran a few weeks ago. US bombers circled half the globe, hitting Iranian nuclear facilities that were protected by Russian air defenses and their own aircraft. The US bombers returned undetected.
We know that the strike on Iran has seriously alarmed the Kremlin because their air defenses have proven ineffective. This (the strike on the Marinovka airfield – 24 Kanal) is further confirmation.
It is also a signal of the real state of the Russian military. They may have thousands more young soldiers ready to be sent to the front lines. At the same time, they cannot effectively protect critical strategic assets like the Su-34 aircraft. The same can be said about the air force that was destroyed during Operation Spider Web.
Although the front line is generally stable, Ukraine is demonstrating strategic success by carrying out such precision strikes.
Do you think Operation Spider Web has really changed the game? It seems that Ukraine is starting to use new tactics to destroy aircraft deep into Russia.
I think we are now at a new stage of the war. Creating a deeply layered intelligence network inside Russia is a serious challenge. But it also shows that there are many people in Russia itself who support Ukraine, because such operations cannot be carried out independently. It takes time.
It is enough to recall the Second World War, when saboteurs from the British Special Operations Bureau operated in occupied France and other countries, striking at the Nazis. Now Ukrainian special services carry out similar operations in Russia. Such attacks last a few hours or minutes, but preparation takes months, if not years.
Now that Ukrainian forces have achieved such mastery, it is attracting interest and imitation around the world. Even the British Strategic Defense Review, published a few weeks ago, refers to the Ukrainian experience and draws conclusions. Britain will have to adopt such tactics.
This is a very smart move on the part of the Ukrainian leadership. Putin cannot replenish the losses of such fighters. All these are extremely important and demonstrative strikes that cause deep concern in the Kremlin.
I have one more comment. If Moscow's air defense can't cope, then those generals hiding in the Kremlin are probably starting to get seriously worried. So this was a brilliant move by the SBU, but its implementation required serious effort and time.
What horrors are happening in the Russian army
More than 20,000 Russian troops have deserted from the frontline in Ukraine, the UK Ministry of Defence has confirmed. Is this another major blow to Putin's military campaign?
Of course. These 20 thousand fighters who left their military units without permission are a reflection of the real state of the Russian army. Previously, even prisons in Russia were emptied, sending prisoners to the front lines. At first, they went willingly, because they were promised a pardon. Now they are not offered anything, they are only ordered to fight to the end.
The Russian army has always been particularly cruel. The Red Army was merciless during World War II. Just look at the losses. The British army lost about 300,000 soldiers, pilots and sailors then. And now Russia has lost more than a million of its fighters. This figure is astounding.
There are two main reasons why so many soldiers are leaving for the SOCH: lack of training and lack of leadership.
Firstly, in terms of training, these young men undergo a minimum of training before being sent to the front: a week or two – no more. A significant number of them do not even know how to clean their own weapons. After a few days of shooting, the barrel becomes clogged and stops working. If you do not know how to clean a weapon, it simply becomes unnecessary.
Because they are so poorly trained, they can only move in a straight line. The same thing happens to tank crews. They are not properly trained.
Secondly, the leadership in the Russian army has always been cruel. There is a culture of bullying, in which human life ceases to mean anything. With such a philosophy, the army will not survive for long.
In the British army, officers march in front and soldiers follow. In the Russian army, it's the other way around: officers and sergeants stay behind, and those who stand still or run away are shot.
Therefore, 20 thousand deserters show only the tip of the iceberg. Obviously, many were killed before they could escape. Such cruelty, by the way, breeds corruption. Officers actually exploit soldiers as slaves. While soldiers sell everything, from shells to food, to earn at least some money.
Indiscipline in the army has become chronic, it is not a new thing that appeared with the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine. Moreover, their leader Vladimir Putin does not care about losses at all.
You would think that after a million casualties, Russians would take to the streets of Moscow or St. Petersburg demanding an end to the war. But now in Russia, soldiers are increasingly viewed as mercenaries. They earn a lot of money by Russian standards, while a significant number of Russians barely have enough money for food.
In summary, mass desertion is evidence of a systemic problem and failure of the entire structure of the Russian army. And now that Ukrainian forces have begun to destroy strategic targets, it is becoming obvious that the Russian army is in an extremely dismal state.
But Putin doesn't seem to care. He is ready to continue throwing people into the “meat grinder” to continue the war. This is no longer just a tragedy, these are crimes against humanity. I hope he will be punished for this one day.
There is also other, shocking information from Ukrainian military intelligence. An intercepted conversation revealed more evidence of cannibalism in the Russian army. Do you think this should not be an alarming signal for Vladimir Putin?
This is a truly horrific story. It was reported that a Russian soldier received 25 years in prison, in my opinion, an extremely lenient sentence for such a barbaric crime. Of course, the details remain vague, but the fact itself shows the state of the Russian army. They have to recruit such personnel.
I myself served for 35 years on very different fronts around the world, and I know for sure that in order to fight, to lead people, you need a strong moral core. And if your army has bandits, murderers and even cannibals, this is a direct path to disintegration.
GUR radio intercept confirming cannibalism among Russians: watch the video (18+)
I would like to believe that people all over Russia have begun to understand what is being done in their name. That they will rise up and try to put an end to this terrible war that has produced such horrific images that they seem to have come straight out of a horror movie.
What difficulties did the Russians face during the summer offensive?
The Telegraph believes that Russia's summer offensive has stalled. The Russian army has failed to achieve a breakthrough despite previous plans to seize four Ukrainian regions on Vladimir Putin's orders. These attempts by the occupiers have apparently been stopped by the Ukrainian army. How do you assess the current stage of the so-called Russian offensive?
I believe that the Russian summer offensive has made virtually no progress. There has been very little movement on the front line for about 12 months, not to mention the last few weeks.
This is a systemic problem of the Russian army. If all it can do is throw people into assaults, then it is naive to expect serious successes at the front. Since the preparation was minimal, individual attacks were carried out, but they were not carried out to the end, and the Russians were easily thrown back by Ukrainian forces.
Russia made a lot of efforts or at least tried to attack. However, it achieved practically no result. Therefore, all this once again demonstrates the depressing state of the Russian army.
In winter, there was talk of a large-scale offensive, of an alleged concentration of troops. But in fact, nothing happened except for even greater mortality among Russian soldiers.
Russia's regular armed forces have reached their military limits and exhausted their capabilities. Their offensive potential has been exhausted, so having failed to achieve success on the battlefield, the Russians have stepped up missile and drone attacks on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure.
However, after the NATO summit, when European countries declared that they would allocate 5% of GDP to defense, we see an increase in defense investments and more decisive support for Ukraine. The Alliance in Europe has taken a more active and open position, demonstrating a desire to push Russia out of Ukrainian territory.
Now we are waiting to see what actions US President Donald Trump will take. Right now he is focused on the Middle East, where he probably expects some success. He recently lifted sanctions against Syria. As soon as he finishes solving domestic problems, he will turn his attention back to Ukraine.
Certain preparations are underway, and it seems that the situation is starting to turn in Ukraine's favor. We hope that European allies will provide sufficient support so that Ukraine can develop the initiative and force Putin to sit down at the negotiating table for a ceasefire for the sake of a just peace for the Ukrainian people.
What could push Putin to negotiate?
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin recently announced that he would cut military spending in the future. This came after a senior Kremlin official warned of the risk of a recession in the Russian economy. Has Putin really begun to realize that his country's economy is on the brink of collapse?
This is an interesting point, and two factors are important here. The Russian economy is in free fall and in dire straits. The only thing that still allows it to function is the export of oil, which Putin manages to sell on the world market.
With Iran threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz and the price of oil not rising as Putin had hoped, he will not have enough money to support his own war machine.
Now he is going to cut military spending, but the only reason he is still fighting the war is because Russia is heavily investing in defense. If they are going to cut it now, that is a serious signal.
As I said earlier, the Russian military has reached its limits. Hopefully, this is a sign that Putin is finally beginning to realize that the so-called “his” is doomed to failure, and this will push him to negotiate a ceasefire and a just peace for Ukraine.
Senator Lindsey Graham also said that for the first time the US president supported his bill to impose tariffs and sanctions on the Russian economy and countries that buy Russian gas and oil. Is the situation really turning in favor of Ukraine and against Putin?
Much has been made of the importance of US sanctions against Russia. What has caused outrage is that Putin was willing to impose tariffs and restrictions on allies, but he himself did not feel a real response from the West.
If it can no longer sell oil to China or India and buy goods from them, its resources will quickly run out. So this is another sign that the situation is changing.
One would like to hope that there are people in the Kremlin who understand this and are ready to force Putin to sit down at the negotiating table.
Who Really Runs Middle East Politics
The situation in the Middle East has been tense in recent weeks. The US has attacked Iran's nuclear program and managed to quickly negotiate a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Can this be considered a diplomatic success for the US and at the same time a defeat for Putin, who was unable to help his closest ally in the region?
Iran probably hoped that Putin would step in and, as they say, “ride on a white horse” with air defense systems, ammunition and equipment to support it against the US and Israel. However, Russia did nothing. The only thing Putin offered – and this sounds beyond parody and irony – was to act as a mediator between Israel and Iran.
However, in reality, this is a diplomatic victory for Donald Trump : he managed to deal a serious blow to Iran's nuclear infrastructure, and this can be considered a positive result.
Moreover, he secured a ceasefire between the parties, which they have so far held. So this is certainly a huge success for the White House and, at the same time, a serious defeat for the Kremlin.
This situation also demonstrates that Russian weapons are absolutely no match for modern American technology. And this should cause great concern among Russian generals and politicians, because their vulnerability is becoming obvious.
In the context of the Middle East conflict, the White House and Trump have taken a tough stance on Iran. Is the Kremlin afraid of similar decisive US actions in Ukraine? And could these strikes on Iran change Trump’s thinking on Ukraine and incline him to take similar decisive steps in support of Kyiv?
This is truly a demonstration of American military power. Although everyone knows that the Israeli lobby in Washington and the White House has enormous influence.
Israel and the US are probably the closest of allies. But this incident demonstrates that if America decides to use military force, it is capable of carrying out precise, strategically important strikes, as we saw against Iranian nuclear facilities.
So one hopes that now that President Trump has a taste for success, he will want to continue to do the same in terms of supporting Ukraine.
Why Putin Abandoned Iran in War Against Israel
Why didn't Putin help Iran during its standoff with Israel? Was he really afraid of a possible US reaction, such as increased US support for Ukraine if Russia sided with Iran?
Partially, yes, apparently. However, there is another factor. Putin simply could not afford it. He has neither the equipment nor the resources. He launches many missiles and drones into Ukraine every day, and a significant part of them come from Iran.
He does not have a single military reserve that he could give to the Iranians. They desperately need air defense systems. However, it is known that Putin removes air defense systems from the front lines to protect himself and his entourage in Moscow and St. Petersburg. So when the Iranian leadership turned to Putin for support, he turned out to be a “paper tiger.” He could not help them in any way.
Hopefully this will make Trump realise that he has a significant advantage over Putin in terms of military and financial power and can actually make a difference.
There are opinions that Trump may be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. It seems that this is what motivates him most today.
If he succeeds in achieving a just peace in Ukraine that the Ukrainian people find acceptable, then no one will object to him receiving an award that means so much to him.
What is the state of Iran's nuclear program after the US attack?
Has the United States really completely destroyed Iran's nuclear program, as Donald Trump claims?
It is difficult to give a clear answer. There is too much different information. Many people who do not understand all the intricacies of creating nuclear weapons claim that Iran is supposedly capable of assembling a bomb even tomorrow.
I don't believe that. In my opinion, the Iranian nuclear program has really suffered a huge loss. Even if they have a small stockpile of enriched uranium at 60%, it still takes a huge amount of time and effort to bring it to weapons grade. After all, making a warhead is an incredibly complex technical task. It's not just attaching a piece of uranium to a missile.
Iran will probably not be able to threaten the world with nuclear weapons anytime soon. It will be months, if not years, before the program is even partially restored.
Because it looks like American and Israeli intelligence in Iran have exceptional capabilities. I doubt the Iranian government can do anything serious before the US notices.
By the way, according to the US President, there is another secret nuclear facility in Iran. Probably, this plant did not fall under the attacks of Israel and the United States.
