Russian forces are losing morale and young recruits surrender in Putin’s ‘brutal’ army – World News

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Former British Army chief General Lord Dannatt told the Sunday Mirror tonight that Russian officers “abandoned their soldiers… to save their own skins” while accusing Russia of “moral and military failure of the highest order”. .

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Russian helicopter shot down by Ukrainian forces

One of Russia’s helicopters is shot out of the sky as hopes grow that its invasion of Ukraine is faltering.

Footage of the helicopter being shot down by a surface-to-air missile in a field emerged after claims Vladimir Putin had lost around 10,000 men in just 10 days.

Former British Army chief General Lord Dannatt told the Sunday Mirror he feared the dictator might turn to nuclear weapons to turn the tide.

The chilling warning came after Ukrainians posted a clip online showing the helicopter – believed to be an MI-24 Hind Gunship – burst into flames from their forces.

Follow all of today’s news about the war in Ukraine on our live blog

It fell to the ground before exploding in a fireball. A caption accompanying the footage read, “Honor to Ukraine.”

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy defiantly declared that his forces were killing up to 1,000 Russian soldiers every day.

The death toll is a devastating blow to Russia, which has more than 900,000 active employees.

In comparison, the Soviet Union lost around 14,000 soldiers in Afghanistan in 10 years – and this conflict contributed to the collapse of the communist state.

Ukraine, believed to have lost around 3,000 troops, also claims hundreds of Russian tanks, armored vehicles, helicopters and fighter jets were destroyed.

Sources said the Kremlin was “demoralized” by the casualties and the additional 30,000 wounded.

Among those killed is Major General Andrei Sukhovetsky, 47, who was shot dead by an SAS-trained sniper just days earlier.

Two other senior Russian officers – a divisional and a regimental commander – were also killed.

Many of the Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine are said to be as young as 18 and poorly trained.

Prisoners of war were seen telling their captors they had no idea they were being sent into battle and claimed they believed they were on exercises.

Bullying and abuse of young recruits is also common in the Russian armed forces.

A source said: “Life for young recruits in the Russian army is brutal. It is no wonder so many soldiers are surrendering.”

Gen Dannatt recounted how the Russian generals’ inability to conduct a major full-arms operation was “disgracefully exposed.”

He said: “Also, their leadership on the battlefield was appalling.

“The lack of a clearly explained reason for the operation towards their troops borders on criminality – asking young men to risk and lose their lives without knowing why.

“The conscripts believed they were going to Ukraine as liberators and peacekeepers and were shocked to resist. The true number of Russian casualties will be very high and will probably never be known.

“To make matters worse, it appears the officers have abandoned their soldiers – trapped in their vehicles on the vast northern convoy – to save their own skins. This is a moral and military failure of the highest order.” General Dannatt said he believed the war would become a stalemate but expected Putin’s army to advance further in the coming weeks.

He said: “The Russians will make some progress due to their superior air and firepower. The big battalions usually win.

“However, all of this could take time, and time is not on Putin’s side as sanctions and international isolation begin to take hold. There has to be a negotiated solution, but who will make that possible? Putin hates the West but fears China.

“The US should use denial back channels to talk to the Chinese, to convince them to put an arm around Putin and lead him to the conference table – first a truce, then discussions about Ukraine’s future status, probably a form of neutrality, similar to Austria.”

General Dannatt warned Putin against firing any tactical or nuclear weapon on the battlefield to overthrow Kyiv.

He said: “The Russians may consider using a tactical nuclear weapon to break an impasse – perhaps north of Kyiv to gain access. A nightmare scenario.”

Last week, Putin announced he had placed his nuclear forces on “high alert,” and fighting raging around the remains of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant raised fears of a possible nuclear fallout.

On Friday, Russian troops were accused of risking disaster after a rocket attack on the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant caused a fire in an annex.

Putin’s forces have advanced in southern and eastern Ukraine, but a more than 30-mile tank convoy is stuck north of Kyiv.

General Dannatt said the failure of the attack on the capital so far indicated that the Russian chiefs were hoping to “envelop” the city from the south.

However, it is believed that the convoy’s troubles could hamper the plans. Many of the vehicles are believed to have run out of fuel or become stuck in the mud, and the soldiers are raiding local homes for food.

Defense sources say Ukrainian ambushes, destruction of bridges and poor planning had an impact.

The spreading terror has forced more than 1 million people to flee Ukraine, but the country’s State Border Patrol Service said 80,000 men have returned from overseas to fight. Foreign volunteers – including Britons – have also signed up, while thousands of Russians are said to have fled to Finland to avoid conscription.