Russia has lost more than 30 percent of its land combat power in Ukraine, but military problems will not prompt regime change in the invading country, a senior British military official said on Sunday.
The chief of defence staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, dismissed any suggestion that Russian President Vladimir Putin could be overthrown or assassinated as “wishful thinking”. But he said Ukraine’s aggressive defense, aided by NATO weapons, thwarted Russia’s plans for a quick victory.
“This effectively means that 50,000 Russian soldiers were killed or wounded in this conflict,” Radakin told the BBC. “Nearly 1,700 Russian tanks were destroyed and nearly 4,000 armored combat vehicles belonging to Russia were destroyed.”
Despite this, Putin’s regime is considered stable, and the Russian president continues to crack down on the opposition with ease, Radhakin said. He said Russia’s hierarchy was “invested” in Putin, removing an incentive to challenge his authority.
the latest update:
► The Attorney General of Ukraine says more than 1,000 Ukrainian children were killed or injured in the war. Deaths: 352. Most of the victims among the children were from the competitive Donetsk region.
► The White House has warned that Russia is trying to obtain “offensive-capable” drones from Iran and said it has intelligence that Russian officials visited an airport in central Iran at least twice to view weapons-capable drones.
► Ukraine reported that at least 17 civilians were killed Saturday in Russian missile strikes and nationwide shelling.
‘Evil can’t win’: Funeral for 4-year-old girl killed in rocket attack
Dozens of relatives, friends and residents of the central city of Vinnitsa gathered on Sunday to say goodbye to 4-year-old Lisa Dmitrieva, who was killed in a July 14 rocket attack One of 24 people. Photos from the scene showed the girl’s body lying in a small coffin covered with teddy bears and flowers. Lisa, who has Down syndrome, and her mother had just left the speech therapist when the attack took place. She died at the scene; her mother was hospitalized with abdominal injuries in serious condition.
“I don’t know Lisa, but no one can go through this peacefully,” Rev. Vitaly Holoskevich said at the Transfiguration Cathedral in Vinnitsa. “We know that evil cannot win.”
Ukrainian emergency services posted a report of the attack on Facebook, mentioning Lisa: “The little girl killed by the Russians today… turned into sunshine. Sorry, baby didn’t save you.”
The Ukrainian military said the cruise missile was launched from a submarine in the Black Sea hundreds of miles away. Two boys, ages 7 and 8, were also killed in the attack, officials said. About 200 people were injured and 80 were hospitalized.
Russia strengthens gains near Crimea and elsewhere
The Russian airstrike focused on Mykolaiv, a city in southern Ukraine near the Black Sea coast between Russian-occupied Crimea and the Ukrainian port of Odessa. Mykolaiv Mayor Oleksandr Senkevych said Russian missiles hit an industrial and infrastructure facility in the city, an important shipbuilding center at the mouth of the South Bug River. There is no immediate information on casualties.
The attacks were part of a larger effort by the Kremlin to strengthen its positions near Crimea and in the northern Zaporozhye region, according to an update from the British Ministry of Defence on Sunday. Meanwhile, Ukrainian troops are fighting back.
“Ukrainian forces have been exerting pressure on Russian defenses in Kherson Oblast for over a month, and recent political statements by Zelensky and the Deputy Prime Minister have warned that the imminent offensive will force Russia to withdraw from areas it currently controls, ‘ the ministry tweeted.
Russian leader tells army to ‘step up’ attack
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu ordered “further intensification of force operations in all combat zones to preclude massive rocket and artillery attacks by the Kyiv regime on civilian infrastructure and settlement residents in the Donbass and beyond. possibility,” his ministry said Saturday.
While Russia’s operations were largely concentrated in eastern Donbass, Saturday’s attack also hit northern and southern regions of Ukraine. The country’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, has been heavily bombed in recent days.
Anti-doping authorities allow exception for Ukrainians
International doping authorities have granted special exemptions for seven Ukrainian athletes, allowing them to compete in the world championships despite not being adequately tested before the competition due to the war in their country. The Athletics Integrity Unit ruled that 15 other Ukrainians and 134 athletes from five other countries participated in the tournament who were classified as “high risk” due to poor testing protocols. Athletes from any country are excluded.
At last year’s Olympics, 20 athletes were not allowed to compete under the so-called “Rule 15,” which was designed to keep Ukraine, Bahrain, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and Belarus under global testing rules.
Contributed by: Associated Press
