The United States has information about the execution of Russian soldiers for not following orders from their command.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby announced this on Thursday, October 26.
He points out that during offensive attempts, Russia throws “thousands” of troops into battle without proper training and with low morale.
“We have information that the Russian military actually executed soldiers who refused to follow orders,” the White House official said.
Kirby added that the U.S. was also aware that Russian commanders had threatened to execute entire units if they tried to retreat under Ukrainian artillery fire.
At the briefing, the U.S. official also noted that Russia was currently conducting offensive actions in several areas, including Avdiivka, Lyman, and Kupiansk.
At the same time, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, partially thanks to U.S. military assistance, “managed to hold on and are holding the line” in these areas of the front.
According to Kirby, since October 11, Russia has suffered significant losses in its attempted offensive, including the loss of “at least 125 armored vehicles around Avdiivka and more than a battalion’s worth of military equipment.”
The United States does not rule out the possibility that Russia could intensify its attacks on the battlefield, as it “still has the potential to attack.”
White House National Security Council spokesman does not exclude further Russian offensive attempts in the Avdiivka area and that Russian troops “may achieve some tactical success in the next few months at the expense of thousands of soldiers thrown into battle.”
Since October 10, Russian invasion forces have been trying to encircle Ukrainian forces in Avdiivka, which is the “gateway” to occupied Donetsk.
In the Avdiivka sector, the Ukrainian Defense Forces are destroying Russian armored vehicles attempting to attack Ukrainian positions.