Partial transcript of a 6 minute speach by a former head of special forces in the Belarusian Army. The whole video and translation is in a twitter link at post 10,888 (I think)
The Russian army, which has tremendous combat experience, has spent 3 days in hell. The number of dead count in the thousands. The number of prisoners is in the hundreds. Military and civilian hospitals at the border are overflowing with wounded.
None of the objectives of the 'operation' have been achieved.
As of this moment they have not managed to seize Kyiv, or any regional center.
The Russian army is already sufficiently wearied, and the Ukrainians having survived the critical first 72 hours have successfully mobilized, organized, sorted out their logistics, received support (moral and in war materiel) from the whole world, but most importantly, saw that they have been attacked by ordinary mortals, stopped fearing them, and tasted victory. This army is not going to retreat and won't surrender.
The Russians simply became victims of their own propagandists, who promised that the people of Ukraine would great the invaders with bread and salt like liberators.
Does anyone actually think that your deployment into Ukraine will go better than the New Year's storming of Grozny in 1995 (first Chechen war, a disaster for Russian soldiers).
However, any clear thinking person must understand three things:
First, Ukraine has never been a threat to Belarus and is not threatening Belarus now.
Second, there are no drug addicts or nationalists in the Ukrainian government, and even if there were they’d have been appointed in free democratic elections.
Third, there is no legal basis for the invasion of Belarus armed forces onto the territory of Ukraine, and moreover such an incursion is specifically banned by our Constitution.This isn’t our war. You won’t be defending your country, your home or your family. You won’t earn any honor in this conflict, only shame and indignity, blood and death, and pariah status for Belarus for decades.
Brothers, find a way not to participate in this dirty business.
Officers, will you be able to live with yourselves knowing you let the boys under your command die for nothing?
How are you going to look the mothers who gave you their sons in the eye?
Separately, I’d like to address the people on whom much depends. The military commanders with many stars on the epaulets.
For many of you I was a commander and a mentor. In my memory, you remain as decent and responsible military leaders, with initiative and capable of quickly orientating themselves in a complex situation, competently and deeply analysing it, and calculating the consequences of various options.
At the end of the day this is your primary functional duty. It is precisely for this that the nation spent so many years preparing you. No matter how much they pressure you, do what a real man must, make the right decision, muster your civic bravery, and do not send your soldiers into the slaughter
Sometimes the greatest act of valor is simply saying “no,” and entering history as a person who saved hundreds, perhaps thousands of lives, and relations with a fraternal people (brotherly nation).
Even if they fire you, believe me, you’ll be heroes.
The Russian army, which has tremendous combat experience, has spent 3 days in hell. The number of dead count in the thousands. The number of prisoners is in the hundreds. Military and civilian hospitals at the border are overflowing with wounded.
None of the objectives of the 'operation' have been achieved.
As of this moment they have not managed to seize Kyiv, or any regional center.
The Russian army is already sufficiently wearied, and the Ukrainians having survived the critical first 72 hours have successfully mobilized, organized, sorted out their logistics, received support (moral and in war materiel) from the whole world, but most importantly, saw that they have been attacked by ordinary mortals, stopped fearing them, and tasted victory. This army is not going to retreat and won't surrender.
The Russians simply became victims of their own propagandists, who promised that the people of Ukraine would great the invaders with bread and salt like liberators.
Does anyone actually think that your deployment into Ukraine will go better than the New Year's storming of Grozny in 1995 (first Chechen war, a disaster for Russian soldiers).
However, any clear thinking person must understand three things:
First, Ukraine has never been a threat to Belarus and is not threatening Belarus now.
Second, there are no drug addicts or nationalists in the Ukrainian government, and even if there were they’d have been appointed in free democratic elections.
Third, there is no legal basis for the invasion of Belarus armed forces onto the territory of Ukraine, and moreover such an incursion is specifically banned by our Constitution.This isn’t our war. You won’t be defending your country, your home or your family. You won’t earn any honor in this conflict, only shame and indignity, blood and death, and pariah status for Belarus for decades.
Brothers, find a way not to participate in this dirty business.
Officers, will you be able to live with yourselves knowing you let the boys under your command die for nothing?
How are you going to look the mothers who gave you their sons in the eye?
Separately, I’d like to address the people on whom much depends. The military commanders with many stars on the epaulets.
For many of you I was a commander and a mentor. In my memory, you remain as decent and responsible military leaders, with initiative and capable of quickly orientating themselves in a complex situation, competently and deeply analysing it, and calculating the consequences of various options.
At the end of the day this is your primary functional duty. It is precisely for this that the nation spent so many years preparing you. No matter how much they pressure you, do what a real man must, make the right decision, muster your civic bravery, and do not send your soldiers into the slaughter
Sometimes the greatest act of valor is simply saying “no,” and entering history as a person who saved hundreds, perhaps thousands of lives, and relations with a fraternal people (brotherly nation).
Even if they fire you, believe me, you’ll be heroes.
