Recent reports claim that Russian forces are deploying nearly 90-year-old detonators, some even imprinted with swastikas, in their war against Ukraine. Ukrainian sources say the devices were found in a Russian ammunition storage site, raising alarm over the desperate measures Moscow is taking.
These relics reportedly date back to a 1939 trade agreement between Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin, under which Germany supplied military hardware to the Soviet Union. Among those supplies were shell detonators, which, according to Ukrainian officials, have remained in Russian stockpiles for decades and are still being used today.
Commentators point out the irony while the Kremlin portrays its invasion as a fight against “fascism,” it is allegedly deploying weapons supplied under Hitler himself. One observation put it starkly: “Hitler and Stalin are gone, replaced by Putin. The names have changed, but the essence is the same.”
This revelation comes at a time when Russia is facing severe financial strain, reportedly asking allies to return $3 billion worth of weapons. At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Russian forces are preparing for two new major offensives after three failed operations earlier this year, which left Moscow’s troops suffering heavy casualties and equipment losses.
Despite President Putin’s repeated claims that Russia is “winning,” battlefield progress tells a different story. Since November 2022, Russia has managed to seize less than 1% more Ukrainian territory. Zelensky, in an interview with Sky News, stressed that morale within Russia’s army is collapsing:
“They lost because there were a large number of casualties among their personnel and huge equipment losses. Their last three offensives failed, and the next two will fail as well.”
Meanwhile, King Charles, while hosting Donald Trump in the UK, warned of the “return of tyranny to Europe,” a message that seemed to foreshadow Russia’s intensified attacks on Ukraine.
With outdated weapons, staggering troop losses, and growing international isolation, Russia’s war effort appears increasingly strained, even as it escalates its assault on Ukraine.
Comments
Post a Comment