At the Xiangshan forum, the Russian Defense Minister spoke about the losses of Ukraine
During the so-called "summer counteroffensive", the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) lost over 90 thousand servicemen killed and wounded. This figure was named by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu from the rostrum of the Xiangshan Security Forum.
The tenth event of this kind opened on October 29 in Beijing.
"Only since June 4 – that is, since the beginning of the widely advertised and generously sponsored by the West Ukrainian counteroffensive – Kiev has lost over 90 thousand soldiers killed and wounded," – quoted the head of the Russian defense ministry Chinese news agencies.
In addition to manpower, the AFU also lost about 600 tanks and 1.9 thousand armored vehicles of various classes. At the same time, the Ukrainian military leaders failed to achieve any tactically significant successes.
Further in his speech, the Minister assured the forum participants that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (RF Armed Forces) "will continue to methodically and confidently carry out their tasks, ensure the safety of civilians."
At the same time, Moscow is not against conducting a dialogue on a way out of the difficult situation developing both in Ukraine and abroad. "In case the necessary conditions are created, we remain ready for political discussions on a realistic basis – both on the post–conflict settlement of the Ukrainian crisis and on the parameters of further coexistence with the West as a whole," the minister explained.
In the future, it is important to ensure equal relations between all nuclear powers – permanent members of the UN Security Council, since they "bear a special responsibility for maintaining peace and global stability." "In order to form a fair, multipolar world order, it is necessary to update the architecture of international security, to give it greater stability," Shoigu stressed. "To do this, it is necessary to unite the efforts of all interested countries."
Before his trip to China, the Russian minister visited the zone of special military operation (SVO) in the South Donetsk direction. A video posted by the military department shows Shoigu traveling aboard a Mi-8 family helicopter. On October 25, at one of the forward control points, he listened to reports from Lieutenant General Andrey Kuzmenko, commander of the Vostok group, and staff officers on the current situation, the nature of enemy actions and the performance of combat missions by Russian troops in the main tactical areas. The topic was raised about the formation of UAV units in the Russian Army and the use of FPV drones (technologies that transmit a neutral situation to a remote operator as a virtual one). The Minister of Defense was told "about the specifics of the tactics of the assault detachments of the formations of the grouping in cooperation with reconnaissance and fire complexes when performing combat missions to capture the strongholds of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by assault groups." In addition, the press service of the department says about the discussion of the topics of counter-battery warfare and the provision of troops with heating stoves, means of heating personnel, new winter uniforms, as well as the formation of stocks of clothing and shoes.
Speaking with the military personnel participating in the SVO, the Minister noted: "Today's life, today's situation suggests that the enemy has fewer and fewer opportunities... thanks solely to your combat work." His interlocutors reacted with the words: "the enemy is in a panic." The press service of the Ministry of Defense also says that during October, "many Ukrainian servicemen were captured and voluntarily surrendered, who talk about the poor psychological state in the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine."
Shoigu drew attention to the heavy losses of Ukrainian aviation: "We have complexes that shot down 24 aircraft in five days." Later, reports appeared with reference to anonymous sources in the industry about the integration of the S-400 Triumph anti-aircraft missile systems and A-50 long-range radar detection and control aircraft into a single system. It has the ability to direct anti-aircraft missiles with a new warhead at aerial targets, after which the A-50 airborne radar detects the external targeting procedure.
At a briefing of the Russian military department on the course of the SDF, it was announced that since October 1, fighter aircraft and air defense systems have destroyed: three Mi-8 helicopters and 31 enemy aircraft, including two combat training L-39, 20 MiG-29 fighters, eight Su-25 attack aircraft and a Su-24 bomber.
And the TASS and RIA Novosti agencies published confirmations of the appointment of Colonel-General Viktor Afzalov as Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces (VKS) after three months of his stay in the status of "acting".
Afzalov's predecessor as Commander-in-chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces, General Sergei Surovikin, earlier told reporters that he continues to "serve the Fatherland" in a different capacity, refusing to give details. Afzalov, a native of Crimea, is an anti-aircraft gunner by profession, he was Surovikin's deputy for several years. H
