Posted on 06/26/2022 9:16:25 PM PDT by Zhang Fei
Foreign fighters who have joined Ukrainian forces battling Russia's invasion have been shocked by the brutality of the war and some say that disillusionment is creeping in.
"They fought in Afghanistan or in Iraq and say they aren't ready" for what they face in Ukraine, says Polak, of his Western comrades who have signed up to fight.
Polak -- whose nationality AFP is withholding to protect his anonymity -- estimates there are "perhaps several hundred" foreign fighters who have taken up arms for Kyiv since the invasion began.
"Honestly, we have quite a few cowards" serving in the International Legion for the Defence of Ukraine, he says, speaking to AFP at a supermarket cafe at Kramatorsk in the eastern Donbas region to which Russia lays claim.
"Sometimes after the first fighting exchanges they will say, 'we aren't prepared for that' and they go home," says Polak, as he offers a rare insight into the experiences of foreign citizens who have joined up.
He indicates a wide mix of nationalities in the Legion -- "Canadians, Georgians, Croatians," he says.
But, they have not been trained to fight in a war involving artillery attack.
"Elon Musk, if you can hear me -- we need help!"
That was the plea to the billionaire entrepreneur, the world's richest man, on Friday from a former American GI serving in the northern city of Kharkiv at a press conference.
The reality of what they are up against has been thrown into stark relief with the recent deaths of a Dutchman, a Frenchman, a German and an Australian.
Separatist pro-Russian authorities have also handed down death sentences to two Britons and a Moroccan who have been fighting for Ukraine and have appealed the verdicts.
In early June, Russia reported its forces had killed "hundreds" of foreign combatants
(Excerpt) Read more at barrons.com ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Fn4vNYNRzA
I just wanted to add something that I was reading yesterday and sent to you. There has been a very interesting article published by RUSI. RUSI is the United Royal Services Institute. It is the primary think tank of the British Army. It was created and set up in the 1830’s by none other than the Duke of Wellington who was the general who defeated Napolean at Waterloo. So that gives you an idea of how old and established it is.
And, anyway, this article basically said that the Russians are cranking out shells and missiles at rates that even the United States can’t keep up with. And that the Russians expend in a period of ten days to 2 weeks in Donbass more shells...they fire more shells than the U.S. produces in a year. And that they have used more cruise missiles in four months than the entire annual production of cruise missiles in the United States multiplied by, I think is was, a factor of three.
So with no sign of stress, with no sign that they are running out. So when you look at these numbers you understand that there is no possibility of any giant re-equipment of the Ukrainian army with some western weaponry which will enable the Ukrainians to launch counter attacks. There wouldn’t be time to train Ukrainian troops to use them anyway.
But, those numbers of military hardware the west could provide would be quickly submerged by the much bigger production that the Russians seem to have organized of these things at the moment. So far from Russia being the petrol station masquerading as a country, in critical areas of arms production it’s actually out producing the United States, itself. And I am not saying that...that is from the primary think tank of the British army.
[Ah, the old demonrat playbook in use. When losing an argument resort to name calling and be sure it includes nazi.]
The cabal that controls Biden can spend the big money but not deliver the goods. Nixon could supply Israel during the ‘73 war with the big stuff and lots of it. These Biden zip wads really don’t care about faraway affairs and would rather misspend money at home trying to buy votes and fabricate votes.
Elon Musk did not send you there.
you consider Ukrainians lice.
: )
“Polak — whose nationality AFP is withholding to protect his anonymity —”
Any guesses?
That said, our most modern artillery is surprisingly old and in the process of having a replacement developed.
Any guesses?
Russian missiles massively rained down on Kyiv, casualties among civilians. The 123rd day of war
https://youtu.be/_fZTQBfMePc
North Saltivka district of Kharkiv remained in ruins: Prosecutors record consequences of shelling
https://youtu.be/tZUPHRGuiSU
Consequences of Russia’s missile attack on Kyiv: Russian citizen wounded by hit
https://youtu.be/srwIcaMSfxU
Russia’s Putin strives to involve the army of Belarus in the war against Ukraine
https://youtu.be/VJpQbFdcCuY
The meeting of G7 leaders has begun. Boris Johnson first suggested stripping to the waist to look cooler than Putin. The idea was supported by Ursula Von der Leyen.🤦♀️
Johnson: In jackets? No jackets? Need to undress?
Trudeau: Let’s wait until they take a photo.
Johnson : We all have to show that we are cooler than Putin.
Trudeau : We’ll put on a bare-chested riding show.
Von der Leyen : Oh yes! Horse riding is the best.
Johnson: We should show them our pecs.
But for some reason we doubt that Mrs. Ursula’s “pectoral muscles” are better than Putin’s. Perhaps that is why the idea was abandoned. @mincerchannel
39.9Kviews
12:32
Letting Russia win would be a catastrophe... Or, rather, an extension of further moralization of a mortal enemy and demoralization of us since Russia all along was supporting Talebans to Vietnamize Afghanistan while waiting for a Biden to waltz in and pull out.
That being said I know plenty of bored Ukie women in America who don’t care and are not watching the news anymore despite having relatives there, sticking a fork in it.
Some of them are proud to have had relatives in the past both the Nazi and Soviet camp... maybe they play both sides, maybe this is one of those Marxist synthesis of using the criminals to lock up both the civilian victims and criminals under their control.
It is a effed up de.oralizinf world for us and Ukrainians, imo.
Saying the Russians sent in their second line forces first, is just a way to explain away how badly Russia forces performed. What the invasion showed is how bad the entire state of the Russian military from the privates to Putin really is.
Yup, Ukraine should have taken the deal offered by Russia before the fighting started.
You’ve been missed. It only took you 12 posts to call a non-interventionist a Nazi.
Putin is just another Stalin and Hitler. This genocide is SOP with them.
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