this post was submitted on 18 Aug 2023
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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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[–] nat_turner_overdrive@hexbear.net 25 points 1 year ago (4 children)

I'm pretty sure once Ukraine has thrown away enough lives trying to get to the first line of defense, Russia is going to use their mobilized army to roll up the coast line all the way up to Transnistria.

[–] yogthos@lemmy.ml 21 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I absolutely love the incomprehension on the part of liberals of why Russia didn't just throw freshly mobilized troops into a meat grinder the way Ukraine is doing. Instead, they sensibly spent the time building multi-layer defences, and training the troops knowing that the west would push Ukraine into the offensive in order to justify all the spending.

[–] Frank@hexbear.net 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It is kind of unbelievable that they don't understand a smaller country can't just send able bodied young men in to a defensive line to get slaughtered indefinitely. Vibes based world view. You'd think there are enough gamers in the world that the average commentator would understand how "camping" works as a strategy.

[–] yogthos@lemmy.ml -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

There was an actual article in WaPo that flat out said that the west knew that Ukraine didn't have enough equipment to do the offensive, but pushed them into it anyways because they thought their motivation and gumption would make up for it. You just can't make this shit up:

When Ukraine launched its big counteroffensive this spring, Western military officials knew Kyiv didn’t have all the training or weapons—from shells to warplanes—that it needed to dislodge Russian forces. But they hoped Ukrainian courage and resourcefulness would carry the day.

[–] Frank@hexbear.net 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

How does that saying go?

Old age and treachery will always beat youth and exuberance.

I keep telling everyone to read Sun Tzu because he's very specific, numerous times, about not doing this specific thing. : p

[–] yogthos@lemmy.ml -4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

The fact that they thought this could work shows that western sponsors of the proxy war are completely detached from reality. If they made an obvious blunder like this, one has to wonder what other terrible blunders have they been making over the past two years. It's clearly that they're completely out of their depth here. Yet, people still think they're going to win because they project this level of stupidity on the Russians.

[–] Tester@lemm.ee 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

And this is based on the overwhelming success of the current Russian attempts?

[–] nat_turner_overdrive@hexbear.net 23 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Yes

By this time next year Ukraine will not have any coastline under their control.

[–] Frank@hexbear.net 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They probably won't have an 18-35 year old men under their control, either. I'm kind of surprised they can still find people willing to die for this bullshit.

[–] SoyViking@hexbear.net 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

There's a reason why they're kidnapping men off the streets and press-ganging them to fight for the Kiev regime. The slava ukraini epic marvel stuff is not making enough people volunteer to go die in a minefield.

[–] Tester@lemm.ee 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm willing to take that bet. Just like Russia will take Kiev in 3 days. Just like Ukraine would be under Russian control in a matter of months. Just like many other Russian PR predictions, worthless.

[–] nat_turner_overdrive@hexbear.net 34 points 1 year ago (1 children)

...Those predictions were Western ones, not Russian ones.

[–] chowder@lemmy.one 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)
[–] nat_turner_overdrive@hexbear.net 24 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Oh damn I didn't realize Belarus was Russia, this changes everything

[–] chowder@lemmy.one 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Oh damn I didn't realize Belarus was western, this changes everything.

[–] nat_turner_overdrive@hexbear.net 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Someone not involved in the operation and also not even from Russia doesn't really matter, particularly not a shit talker like lukashenko-tired that motherfucker says all kinds of crazy shit

[–] chowder@lemmy.one 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Not involved? He let an invasion be lauched from his territory. That's pretty damn involved.

My landlord doesn't know shit about what I launch from his territory

[–] PipedLinkBot@feddit.rocks 1 points 1 year ago

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[–] SeborrheicDermatitis@hexbear.net 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I would bet you £10 (or dollar equivalent) that this will not happen, to be donated to a charity of the other's choice, honestly. Absolutely no chance Russia takes Odessa and reaches the Romanian border.

[–] nat_turner_overdrive@hexbear.net 30 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What is it with liberals and making bets they absolutely will not honor? Two redditors already owe me donations because they predicted Russia would be pushed back over the Russian border within six months, back in mid-2022. You should donate to any charity you like instead of whatever weird shit this is.

[–] SeborrheicDermatitis@hexbear.net 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I don't have £10 spare right now I'm really struggling sorry, but I plan on having it in a year God Willing. I would've done it but the point is I am certain of it not coming to pass.

PS I am not a liberal, how dare you >:(

[–] nat_turner_overdrive@hexbear.net 30 points 1 year ago (1 children)

"let's bet money on a conflict with bodies piling up" is not a sentiment I would expect from a leftist

[–] SeborrheicDermatitis@hexbear.net 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I think that is a pretty clear misrepresentation. I was simply saying in a dramatic way that the notion of Russia occupying Odessa and the land all the way down to the Romanian border is outlandish.

[–] nat_turner_overdrive@hexbear.net 17 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Then say that next time rather than proposing a wager determined by the deaths and maiming of thousands?

[–] BigNote@lemm.ee 6 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I'll put it on the giant pile of overconfident predictions about Russian military prowess that we already have. Kiev in 3 days, amirite?

[–] nat_turner_overdrive@hexbear.net 32 points 1 year ago (1 children)

visible-disgust

Westerners predicted Kiev in three days.

[–] at_an_angle@lemmy.one -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] nat_turner_overdrive@hexbear.net 28 points 1 year ago (1 children)

lmao, calm down liberal

also your link is bad

[–] at_an_angle@lemmy.one -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Maybe this is just happening on our instance, but your image was removed. Maybe a direct link?

[–] ThomasMuentzner@hexbear.net 20 points 1 year ago

they where in kiew the first day ? And it was hugly successfull because of the Kiew Raid they Closed the landbridge in 3 days ! the biggest ojective by far ,its securs crimea.. they literally Seized a Territory the size of Belgium and Netherlands including the Black Soil and Europes Greats NPP , trapped elite units of ukraine in mariupol and blockaded the Main water atery of Ukraine (dnepr ) and Strategiclly also odessa ....

In my book Russia was hugly succesfull , if russia would not have secured the Landbridge ...

[–] Frank@hexbear.net 7 points 1 year ago

Yes, the conditions of an offensive at the very beginning of the war are still extremely relevant now.

[–] GBU_28@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago (3 children)
[–] Riffraffintheroom@hexbear.net 40 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I mean marching a bunch of barely-trained 50 year old conscripts into known killzones or over minefields is absolutely throwing those lives away.

[–] Tankiedesantski@hexbear.net 34 points 1 year ago

"Special de-mining operation"

[–] nat_turner_overdrive@hexbear.net 36 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

A few weeks of NATO training and then sending them into minefields without sufficient artillery support or any air support at all is absolutely, 100%, throwing away lives. Particularly since anybody not huffing their own farts has known from day one that Russia would be able to keep any land they really want, there is no path to victory for Ukraine and there never has been without direct NATO intervention.

[–] yogthos@lemmy.ml 15 points 1 year ago

And this is precisely how NATO likes it, as long as Ukraine isn't part of NATO then there is no obligation for NATO to get involved directly. They can just keep the proxy war going as long as they see it beneficial, and then cut and run when it burns itself out.

[–] kneel_before_yakub@hexbear.net 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Go step on a mine like your ukkkrainian heros