The Russian commander of the “Vostok” Battalion fighting in southern Ukraine said on Thursday that Ukraine will not be defeated and suggested that Russia freeze the war along current frontlines.

Alexander Khodakovsky made the candid concession yesterday on his Telegram channel after Russian forces, including his own troops, were devastatingly defeated by Ukrainian marines earlier this week at Urozhaine in the Zaporizhzhia-Donetsk regional border area.

“Can we bring down Ukraine militarily? Now and in the near future, no,” Khodakovsky, a former official of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, said yesterday.

“When I talk to myself about our destiny in this war, I mean that we will not crawl forward, like the [Ukrainians], turning everything into [destroyed] Bakhmuts in our path. And, I do not foresee the easy occupation of cities,” he said.

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[–] MJBrune@beehaw.org -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Sure but the judgement is there to determine if Russia will use nukes to keep the land. Clearly, with Ukraine, they won't. With Crimea, I think they would since that's a key point in the oil exportation.

[–] argv_minus_one@beehaw.org -2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Crimea is Ukraine.

[–] MJBrune@beehaw.org 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It hasn't been since 2014 though. It's been firmly in Russian control since before 2022. Russia is not looking to lose any land before it started it's 2022 invasion.

[–] argv_minus_one@beehaw.org -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Pretty sure nobody except Russia and its cronies recognizes that border.

[–] MJBrune@beehaw.org -1 points 1 year ago

You realize it's not just a border right? Do you realize they have soldiers in the area and literally forcibly took the area over in 2014 and the world absolutely looked the other way?