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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Liam Buckler

Vladimir Putin has already LOST war with Ukraine, top US general claims

Vladimir Putin has already "lost" the Ukraine war and paid "an enormous price on the battlefield", according to a top US general.

Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley admitted during a press conference on Tuesday Putin "thought he could defeat Ukraine quickly, fracture the NATO alliance, and act with impunity. He was wrong."

The top US general slammed Moscow for launching an illegal and unprovoked attack on Ukraine which has seen Russia pay an "enormous price on the battlefield."

With the anniversary of Russian's invasion of Ukraine approaching its one-year mark, he revealed Russia is now a "global pariah."

He said: "Russia is now a global pariah and the world remains inspired by Ukrainian bravery and resilience. In short, Russia has lost — they've lost strategically, operationally, and tactically."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has "lost" the war, according to a top US general (Mikhail Klimentyev/AP/REX/Shutterstock)

The comments come after UK chief of defence staff Admiral Sir Tony Radaki admitted in December "Russia is losing" and the "free world is winning."

After Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, they were expected to conquer Kyiv in just a few days but Russian forces failed as Ukrainian troops fought back and put up a stronger resistance than the Kremlin anticipated.

Along with the help of Western-supplied weapons, Ukraine have been able to try and defend their territory.

Mr Milley added: "Until Putin ends his war of choice, the international community will continue to support Ukraine with the equipment and capabilities it needs."

There have been huge losses of Russian troops during their failed siege of Vuhledar, a strategic hamlet in Donetsk.

Troops from the elite 155th naval infantry were obliterated like "turkeys in a shooting range" during their failed attempt to town to seize the high ground.

Along with the help of Western-supplied weapons, Ukraine have been able to try and defend its territory (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin said many of the troops being asked to fight are unprepared and ill-equipped.

He said: "We see Russia introducing a number of new troops to the battlefield.

"Many of those troops are ill-trained and ill-equipped, and so their casualty rate has been really high."

And, according to Colonel Oleksiy Dmytrashkivskyi, a Ukrainian military spokesman, troops have had to be retrained at least three times.

He revealed: "The 155th brigade already had to be restaffed three times.

Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley (MICHAEL REYNOLDS/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

"And now almost the entire brigade has been destroyed.

“The first time after Irpin and Bucha; the second time they were defeated near Donetsk – they recovered again.

"And now almost the entire brigade has already been destroyed near Vuhledar.”

Meanwhile, Russian forces have reportedly lost between 150 to 300 marines a day since the fighting around Vuhledar in January.

The marine brigade of 5,000 men was also wiped out, according to POLITICO.

Ukrainian officials said the Russian troops were either captured, wounded or killed.

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