A fifth Russian general has reportedly been wiped out by Ukrainian defenders amid the ongoing invasion by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces of Ukraine. The latest general from Putin’s side to reportedly die in combat in Ukraine is Russian Lieutenant-General Andrei Mordvichev, who’d been commander of the 8th General Army of the Southern Military District of Russia’s Armed Forces and was reportedly taken out in a strike around the Ukrainian city of Kherson, which has temporarily fallen under Russian control.
⚡️ Armed Forces report another Russian general dead.
According to Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Russian Lieutenant-General Andrei Mordvichev, who commanded the 8th Guards Combined Arms Army, was killed in action in southern Ukraine.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) March 19, 2022
Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych confirmed the hit, explaining: “I want to inform you that the airfield in Chornobayivka (Kherson region), which the Russians use as their command post and the place of collection of aircraft, again pleased us with the result. The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine again struck and, according to preliminary data, destroyed the forward command post of the 8th army of the Southern Military District of the Russian Federation. This is exactly the direction that was responsible for ORDLO… According to preliminary data, the commander of this army died.” The New York Times recently reported the following relevant anecdote: “Two American military officials said that many Russian generals are talking on unsecured phones and radios. In at least one instance, they said, the Ukrainians intercepted a general’s call, geolocated it, and attacked his location, killing him and his staff.” In other words: the Russians’ recklessness and/or ineptitude appears to be helping those defending Ukraine.
⚡️Ukraine's General Staff: Putin transfers troops from Far East to Belarus.
The troops are being moved from Vladivostok and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in order to make up for casualties in Ukraine, the General Staff said.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) March 19, 2022
Russia has largely refused to acknowledge the steep casualties that it is believed to have sustained so far in fighting in Ukraine. According to Ukrainian officials, Russians have already lost over 14,000 troops; a recently reported conservative U.S. intelligence estimate put Russian troop losses at 7,000, which would still represent a major dent in Russia’s forces. On the ground, these heavy losses would appear to be circumstantially confirmed by the fact that Russian invaders have failed to secure certain strategic aims that they’ve been after, such as the subjugation of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv — although deadly fighting putting the local civilian population in danger has nonetheless continued there and across Ukraine. In other words, tactical setbacks for Russian invaders — and tentative, limited successes in certain contexts for Ukrainian defenders — haven’t meant that the impacts on local populations haven’t been devastating. Over 3 million people have already fled from Ukraine as refugees, and millions inside the country have been displaced. Thousands of Ukrainian civilians have died, including over 2,500 in the city of Mariupol alone, according to officials there.
⚡️Ukraine: Peace talks with Russia could last 'several weeks.'
According to Mykhailo Podolyak, there are signs that Moscow’s position became more “adequate” but negotiations on issues such as security guarantees, withdrawal of Russian troops and a ceasefire “may take longer.”
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) March 19, 2022
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