A senior Russian parliamentary official on Wednesday (October 5th) called on the army to "
stop lying
" about its defeats in Ukraine, as Moscow's troops retreat on several fronts.
“
People know.
Our people are not stupid.
And he sees that we don't want to tell him even part of the truth.
This can lead to a loss of credibility
,” said Andrei Kartapolov, head of the Defense Committee of the Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, and a former military commander.
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Speaking on Russian propagandist Vladimir Solovyov's Telegram channel, Mr Kartapolov called on the military to "
stop lying
".
“
The enemy is on our land.
All the border villages in the Belgorod region are practically destroyed
”, he continued, as the shootings increased in this region located on the border between Russia and Ukraine.
“
We learn (the news) from anyone, from governors, from war correspondents.
But the Department of Defense reports do not change
,” he added.
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Ukrainian forces have claimed new territorial gains in the east and south in recent days, where Moscow's troops are struggling after already losing most of the Kharkiv region in the northeast.
The Russian Ministry of Defense very rarely recognizes the setbacks of its troops, contenting itself with publishing a daily report in which it lists the heavy losses it claims to inflict on its adversary.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who annexed four Ukrainian regions last week, told him on Monday that he hoped the military situation would "
stabilize
" in Ukraine.
