Russia defector claims Putin ‘facing heavy losses’ in Ukraine war despite boasts

Dmitry Mishov, a 26-year-old airman who defected from the Russian military by running away on foot has given a rare interview about the state of Russia’s troops in the Ukraine war. The defector has offered rare insights into an army that is suffering from high casualties and low morale, including alleging that Putin has faced significant losses, despite his assurances.

Mishov turned himself in to the Lithuanian authorities in search of political asylum, thinking that this was his only remaining chance to go. It was a last-ditch effort on his part to flee Russia, carrying only a little rucksack.

According to Lieutenant Dmitry Mishov, there are various cultures inside the military.

While some soldiers openly favour the war, others are vehemently opposed. Few, though, honestly think they are protecting Russia from present dangers he told the BBC.

He added that Moscow has always maintained that it was forced to launch a “special military operation” in order to stop an attack on the country.

READ MORE: Russia ‘exhausted’ its offensive attacks as Putin ‘gives up’ on Belarus

According to Mishov, although there may be differing opinions among individuals in the military regarding Ukraine, there is a unanimous lack of belief in official reports claiming successful operations at the front or minimal casualties.

He told the BBC: “In the military no one believes the authorities. They can see what is really happening. They are not some civilians in front of the telly.

“The military do not believe official reports, because they are simply not true.”

Mishov said that the Russian command claimed there were no casualties or losses of equipment during the early stages of the conflict. He said he did, however, directly know people who had died in battle.

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On Monday, Ukrainian military officials announced that their troops have successfully recaptured another village in the southeast from Russian forces, marking one of the initial, albeit modest, triumphs in their intensified counteroffensive against Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine that has lasted for over 15 months.

Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar shared on Telegram that the Ukrainian flag had been reinstated over the village of Storozhov, expressing confidence that the ultimate outcome would be the liberation of “all Ukrainian land.”

A day earlier, Ukrainian officials had reported the liberation of three other nearby villages situated south of the town of Velika Novosilke in the eastern Donetsk region.

These villages are situated in the region known as the “Vremivka ledge,” which refers to a section of the front line where the Russian-controlled territory juts into the Ukrainian-held territory.

The area has emerged as one of the focal points of intense fighting.

While the Russian Defense Ministry has not officially confirmed the retreat of Russian forces from these villages, some military bloggers have acknowledged the loss of Russian control over them.

Russian authorities, meanwhile, have said their troops have largely held their ground along the more than 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) arc of front line along southern and eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian troops are probing Russian defenses as spring gives way to a second summer of fighting, and Kyiv’s forces are facing an enemy that has made mistakes and suffered setbacks in the 15-month-old war.

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