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Putin is an incredibly skilled commander,” said Podolyak.
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“He is waging war against Ukraine with his million-strong army, and still has to wander around other (countries, asking for military support).”
Podolyak noted that Putin had been noted to be soliciting security assistance at the recent Caspian Summit, on top of constantly pressuring close ally Belarus to intervene in the war. He then mocked Putin’s “genius” stratagem of trying to get military support from former Soviet republics in fighting the relatively small Ukraine.
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The official added this is damaging Russia’s international prestige and standing.
“So you (Putin) used to swagger around, threatening to bend the world to your will, and now you are reduced to asking ‘Lend us some troops here, invade (Ukraine) from there, we can’t crush Ukrainians on our own – let’s have you invade them from over there,” Podolyak said.
He added that Ukraine is keenly aware of its surroundings, and stands ready to respond to aggression coming from any direction.
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July 2 marks the 129th day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. After failing to capture Kyiv, the Russian invaders withdrew from northern Ukraine and focused their efforts on seizing Donbas. Civilian targets across Ukrainian cities remain under sporadic Russian air strikes, while settlements along the Russian border are regularly shelled.
Kherson is the only provincial capital under Russian control. Moscow maintains the occupation of parts of Kherson, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhya oblasts.
