The Ukrainian counteroffensive has caught the Russian forces off-guard as its armed forces claimed recovering more than 20 settlements in the past 24 hours. According to a report by the AFP, Ukrainian forces said that their counter-attack drove away Russian soldiers who fled hastily abandoning their posts.
Over the weekend, Ukrainian forces said they thwarted Russian forces in the cities of Izyum, Kupiansk and Balakliya. Russia also fired back and Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky alleged that out of fear Russia chose to attack Ukrainian infrastructure forcing residents in Kharkiv and nearby cities to live without electricity and water.
The Ukrainian counteroffensive sowed seeds of discontent and dissent among the Russian army. According to a report by the Guardian, Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, who was appointed by Russian president Vladimir Putin, criticised the Russian leadership.
Kadyrov was unhappy with Vladimir Putin because over the weekend the Russian president presided over an event where a huge observation wheel was inaugurated in Moscow as part of celebrations for Moscow Day.
“They have made mistakes and I think they will draw the necessary conclusions. If today or tomorrow no changes in strategy are made, I will be forced to speak with the leadership of the defence ministry and the leadership of the country to explain the real situation on the ground to them,” the Guardian quoted Kadyrov as saying, citing an audio message posted to his Telegram channel on Sunday.
Kadyrov was not the only one, there were other pro-war Russian commentators who felt that the celebrations were a bit over the top at a time when Russian forces were suffering losses in eastern Ukraine.
“The fireworks in Moscow on a tragic day of Russia’s military defeat will have extremely serious political consequences. Authorities mustn’t celebrate when people are mourning,” Russian political analyst Sergei Markov said criticizing Putin.
The Russian Defence Ministry was quick to jump to its own defence. It said that the retreat of its forces from Izyum and other areas was done with the aim of replenishing and strengthening its forces.
According to the Associated Press, Russia gave a similar explanation earlier this year during its troop pullback from Kyiv.
Kadyrov is a hyper loyalist but his messaging is not controlled by the Kremlin. He was once a rebel and Chechen rebels in the past decades have troubled the Kremlin. Though now under control, Kadyrov’s unhappiness put Putin at a disadvantage in Russia.
The Chechen strongman also has a paramilitary at his command and his Chechen forces have also fought alongside the Russians in Ukraine, at times inflicting brutal attacks on Ukrainian forces as well as civilians.
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