In a newly emerged video of a meeting between Vladimir Putin and the Director of the Russian National Guard, Viktor Zolotov, the latter makes a bizarre claim that Russian troops 'feel support' from Ukrainians.
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A strange meeting
In the video, a grimacing Putin can be seen gripping the tableonce again, which some believe may be a way to stop his hands from shaking amid rumours he’s suffering from Parkinson’s disease, as reported by the Mirror.
The video is strange because Zolotov spends most of the time reciting the routine duties of the national guard, which Putin would be fully aware of as he set up the military force and is its commander in chief. He then makes the bizarre claim:
I want to specifically stress that we feel support from the residents of the liberated territories.
Putin doesn’t look overly enthusiastic when he receives a report from the commander on the performance of the 🇷🇺 National Guard troops in the invasion of 🇺🇦. I can understand why. pic.twitter.com/88WaUSRcDf
— Carl Bildt (@carlbildt) August 30, 2022
80,000 Russian troops hurt or killed
This is clearly contrary to the defiance of the Ukrainian resistance, which the Pentagon says has resulted in as many as 80,000 Russian troops hurt or killed, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. There have also been recent reports of Ukrainians complaining about the drunkenness of the Russian army.
According to theMail Online, it is believed that Putin trusts Zolotov—an army general who was once Putin’s head bodyguard—unlike defence minister Sergei Shoigu who has apparently been sidelined by the Russian President. There is now speculation among Twitter users that Zolotov might replace Shoigu as defence minister.
Read more:
⋙ Vladimir Putin's health: New speculation as he holds table so tightly his veins bulge
⋙ Russian soldiers 'always drunk', according to Forbes contributor
