It’s been over a month since Russia invaded Ukraine, and it has not been going well for the aggressor nation. Ukrainians, including their own president, have put up one heckuva fight. Russian soldiers, stuck with poor equipment, flailing leadership, and surprisingly robust Ukrainian defense, have suffered high death counts and plunging morale. Things are so bad that one colonel may have been killed by his own men.
As per AP, a number of high-ranking Russian military leaders have been killed since the invasion began in late February. One of them, an unidentified colonel, is claimed to have been “deliberately run over and killed by his own men, as a result of the scale of losses taken by his brigade.” If true, it’s a case of what’s called “fragging,” in which soldiers “accidentally” kill either fellow cadets or military leaders.
The killing has not been confirmed by Russia, and indeed it’s hard to sift through the oft-contradictory reporting from Russia and western officials. For instance, western officials claim seven Russian generals have died since the invasion began. But Russia has only confirmed one death. Russian state TV has done its best to create a bubble for its populace, despite creative and brave attempts to tell the people the truth. They’ve even used the likes of Tucker Carlson to help spread misinformation. Alas, the invasion has not been going well, which should upset Vladimir Putin and certain people on the American rightwing.
(Via AP)