(ConservativeInsider.org) – Last Thursday, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Russia is executing soldiers who fail to follow orders and threatening to executive entire units if they retreat under Ukrainian artillery fire, CBS News reported.
Kirby said national security officials believe that this new development is a “symptom” of the deep morale problems within the Russian forces and a reflection of how poorly the war is going for Moscow.
Kirby didn’t offer any details on how many Russian soldiers had been executed, nor did he cite any specific units that were threatened with execution for retreating.
However, Kirby used this new intelligence in renewing his plea to Congress to approve nearly $106 billion in aid to Ukraine and Israel requested by President Biden earlier this month. The aid package includes another $61 billion for Ukraine.
He told reporters that Russian President Vladimir Putin has not given up on his goal to take Ukraine and said as long as Moscow continues its war, the US must continue supporting Ukraine’s self-defense.
Kirby said that Putin has suggested that Ukraine would only survive a week if Western nations stopped sending them lethal aid and argued that Congress must “step up and pass” the aid package to ensure that the US is continuing to provide Ukraine with the support it needs to survive.
While Kirby’s remarks were mentioned on several Russian state media outlets, there was no official response from the Kremlin by last Friday.
There have been reports, including from the UK Ministry of Defense, that the Russian military has “barrier troops” in place that threaten to shoot deserters.
Additionally, the Wagner mercenary group was reported to have executed those fleeing the battle. However, the Wagner Group was pulled out of Ukraine after Yevgeny Pigrozhin’s armed rebellion in June.
Kirby also noted that Russia is so desperate for progress in eastern Ukraine that the Russian military is “throwing young men into the fight who haven’t been properly trained” or equipped.
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