On the previous Thursday, John Kirby, the spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, mentioned that Russia has been carrying out the execution of soldiers who do not obey commands and issuing threats to eliminate entire military units in case of their withdrawal under Ukrainian artillery bombardment.
Kirby stated that officials responsible for national security hold the belief that this recent development signifies profound morale issues among the Russian military and serves as an indicator of the adverse progress of the war from Moscow’s perspective.
Kirby refrained from providing specific numbers regarding the execution of Russian soldiers, and he did not specify particular military units facing threats of execution for retreating.
Nonetheless, Kirby utilized this fresh intelligence to reiterate his appeal to Congress for the approval of the approximately $106 billion in aid, a request put forth by President Biden earlier this month, with a significant portion, approximately $61 billion, allocated for Ukraine.
In his remarks to journalists, he conveyed that Russian President Vladimir Putin remains committed to the objective of annexing Ukraine and emphasized that as long as Moscow persists in its military campaign, the United States must maintain its support for Ukraine’s self-defense.
Kirby mentioned that Putin has proposed that Ukraine’s survival would be limited to a mere seven days if Western nations ceased the delivery of lethal assistance. He asserted that it is imperative for Congress to take action and approve the aid package to guarantee that the United States remains committed to supplying Ukraine with the necessary support for its survival.
Although Kirby’s comments received coverage on various Russian state media platforms, there was no formal response from the Kremlin as of last Friday.
Reports, including those from the UK Ministry of Defense, have indicated the presence of Russian military units referred to as barrier troops that are positioned to deter desertions through the threat of using lethal force.
Furthermore, there were reports of the Wagner private military group resorting to executions of individuals attempting to escape the conflict. Nevertheless, the Wagner Group was withdrawn from Ukraine following Yevgeny Pigrozhin’s armed uprising in June. Kirby also highlighted the Russian military’s desperation for advancement in eastern Ukraine, emphasizing that they are deploying inadequately trained and ill-equipped young men into the combat.
