One of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s top allies acknowledged over the weekend that the invasion of Ukraine is not going according to plan.
Viktor Zolotov, chief of Russia’s national guard and a member of Putin’s security council, said, “Not everything is going as fast as we would like,” on Sunday at a church service led by Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, according to Reuters. He also accused Ukrainians of using civilians as human shields, though there has been no reporting to confirm such claims.
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“But we are going towards our goal step by step, and victory will be for us,” said Zolotov, who ran Putin’s personal security for more than a decade and has led the National Guard force since 2016.
His remarks are at odds with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who said their operation in Ukraine is on time and will be completed in full.
The Pentagon has repeatedly said Russian forces have largely been stopped from conquering territory, though that hasn’t stopped them from launching more than 900 missiles with a disregard for civilian life.
“Almost all of Russia’s advances remain stalled,” a senior U.S. defense official told reporters on Monday. The official has previously said Russian forces have struggled to topple Kyiv due to a stronger-than-expected Ukrainian resistance and problems with fuel and food sustainment.
The Russian military has paid a heavy price amid the invasion. Lt. Gen. Scott David Berrier, who serves as the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, told the House Intelligence Committee last week that intelligence his agency has seen indicates between 2,000 and 4,000 Russian troops have died. However, they have “low confidence” in the assessment. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said Russia had lost 12,000 troops.
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The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights reported on Sunday there have been 596 civilians killed and another 1,067 wounded. Roughly 40 children were among those who have been killed.
There are concerns Russia could continue and possibly ramp up its attack strategies within Ukraine.
The White House warned last week that Russia could be gearing up to launch a chemical weapon attack. The Kremlin accused the United States of running biological research facilities in Ukraine, a debunked claim. U.S. officials warned it’s common for Russia to levy an accusation only to commit the act themselves shortly after.
