Friday 20 May 2022 05:22 PM Putin ally says the Ukraine war is a REHEARSAL for a bigger conflict Russia and ... trends now
A Russian political science professor has claimed the war in Ukraine could simply be a 'rehearsal' for a bigger conflict, allowing Russia's military to test and compare its firepower with that of NATO.
Alexei Fenenko, an associate professor at Moscow State University's school of world politics and a research fellow at the Institute of International Security Studies, made the incredible claim yesterday during a talk show on Kremlin-controlled TV channel Russia One.
'I think the war in Ukraine... is a rehearsal for a possible larger conflict in the future. We are testing our weapons against those of NATO, we will find out how much stronger our weapons are than theirs,' the professor declared.
'It could be a good learning experience for future conflicts,' he added, before talk show host Olga Skabeyeva interjected: 'It's a scary experiment.'
The outlandish statement is the latest example of the Kremlin's attempts to control the narrative surrounding its invasion of Ukraine, in which Putin's forces have suffered huge losses and are coming under counter-attacks along the eastern front in the Kharkiv, Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
It came on the same day that a retired Russian military commander re-appeared on the show warning Ukrainian officials not to underestimate Russia's military and economic might - despite having given a disparaging assessment of Russia's war effort just days earlier.
Professor Alexei Fenenko, says that for Russia, its war in Ukraine is a rehearsal for a potential larger conflict with NATO countries
'I think the war in Ukraine... is a rehearsal for a possible larger conflict in the future. We are testing our weapons against those of NATO, we will find out how much stronger our weapons are than theirs,' the professor declared
According to the latest report from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a total of 28,700 Russian troops have perished in battle since the invasion began on February 24, along with a whole host of military equipment
Despite overwhelming evidence to suggest Russia's 'special military operation' has not gone to plan, the Kremlin is maintaining a constant stream of content across state media to paint the 'demilitarisation of Ukraine' in a positive light (Debris of a burned tank is seen in Mala Rohan' village near Kharkiv, Ukraine, 18 May 2022)
According to the latest report from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a total of 28,700 Russian troops have perished in battle since the invasion began on February 24.
The report also claims 1,263 Russian tanks, 3,090 armoured vehicles, 204 planes, 168 helicopters and hundreds of artillery and missile launchers have been destroyed in bitter fighting.
While these numbers cannot be independently verified, Western intelligence estimates put the number of Russian troop losses between 7,000 - 15,000 as early as late March, while an intelligence update last week from the British Ministry of Defence said Putin has lost up to a third of his main invasion force.
Though Ukraine's Armed Forces are also thought to have sustained considerable losses, the well-trained military and volunteer territorial defence forces have since been boosted by conscription and huge pledges of financial aid, training and weaponry from NATO countries.
