Russia is executing soldiers who do not follow orders related to the war with Ukraine, the White House said on Thursday (Oct 26) adding that Moscow’s forces are suffering “significant” losses of armour and personnel. Meanwhile, the United States has also announced a new $150 million military assistance package for Ukraine.
Is Russia ‘executing soldiers’?
“We have information that the Russian military has been actually executing soldiers who are refusing to follow orders,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters during a briefing.
He added, “We also have information that Russian commanders are threatening to execute entire units if they seek to retreat from Ukrainian artillery fire.”
However, the White House official did not give any further details about the alleged executions or how the United States had obtained the information.
This comes as Russia in the past weeks has ramped up attacks in the Ukrainian town of Avdiivka in the eastern Donetsk region and the northeastern city of Kupyansk, in what is being viewed as a new offensive by the Russian forces in a bid to move the front line forward before winter.
The White House official also said that Moscow has witnessed “significant losses” in the new offensive, losing at least 125 armoured vehicles and “thousands” of casualties.
“The Russian military appears to be using what we would call human wave tactics,” said Kirby, adding that it is “unsurprising that Russian forces are suffering from poor morale,” he added.
Since both Russia and Ukraine do not publish official figures, knowing the number of casualties is difficult.
A report by the New York Times, back in August, citing US officials said the number of Ukrainian and Russian troops killed or wounded since the war in Ukraine began in February 2022 was nearing 500,000.
However, the officials warned that the number is strictly an estimate due to the lack of official figures.
US announces new military aid package for Ukraine
Washington, on Thursday also announced a new military aid package for Ukraine which will include anti-tank weapons, air defence missiles, night vision devices, demolition munitions and cold weather gear.
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Washington is wading deeper into the conflict and making a mistake by providing Kyiv with the missiles which, according to him, would not alter the battlefield situation and could be repelled.
During the briefing, Kirby also reiterated that as long as Russia’s “brutal assault” on Ukraine continues the US will keep helping the Ukrainian people in their self-defence.
According to the Pentagon, the latest package “utilizes assistance previously authorized for Ukraine during prior fiscal years.”
“The Biden administration calls on Congress to meet its commitment to the people of Ukraine by passing additional funding to ensure Ukraine continues to have what it needs to defend itself against Russia’s brutal war of choice,” said the Pentagon, in a statement.
This comes as hardline Republicans have put future assistance for Kyiv in doubt and the government is relying on previously approved aid.
(With inputs from agencies)
Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on Ukraine-Russia war on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.
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