The Russian commander of the “Vostok” Battalion fighting in southern Ukraine said on Thursday that Ukraine will not be defeated and suggested that Russia freeze the war along current frontlines.

Alexander Khodakovsky made the candid concession yesterday on his Telegram channel after Russian forces, including his own troops, were devastatingly defeated by Ukrainian marines earlier this week at Urozhaine in the Zaporizhzhia-Donetsk regional border area.

“Can we bring down Ukraine militarily? Now and in the near future, no,” Khodakovsky, a former official of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, said yesterday.

“When I talk to myself about our destiny in this war, I mean that we will not crawl forward, like the [Ukrainians], turning everything into [destroyed] Bakhmuts in our path. And, I do not foresee the easy occupation of cities,” he said.

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[–] barsoap@lemm.ee 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Native Americans might speak about the War Path. You see it in a ton of indigenous tribes, more "civilised" populations, if they exhibit it, often don't have a name for it, especially when at peace. It's a not too uncommon expression of basic human instincts regarding defence of your loved ones. To get away from Germanic tribes but stay in Europe: Finns for the longest time didn't really have it in this way and were ruled by more or less benevolent Swedes, then Russia came along and, by treating them way worse, unearthed that stuff which is why you get "when the snow starts speaking Finnish" memes, they're absolutely capable of mobilising the complete country for their own defence, support for universal conscription is near universal, such things. For the closely related Estonians it took Soviet occupation to develop that fierceness.

[–] Flinch@hexbear.net 3 points 1 year ago