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By Andrew Stanton
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Former Russian commander Igor Girkin ridiculed a Kremlin leader's pledge to increase the number of munitions for Russian troops fighting on the front lines in Ukraine on Saturday.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu's announced the increase in a new video released by the defense ministry, Reuters reported. It comes more than a year after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the "special military operation" of Ukraine last February. Despite Russian leaders' initial hopes for a quick victory, Ukraine's stronger-than-expected military response, bolstered by Western aid, has blunted their military gains.
Although Girkin is a self-described Russian nationalist who has voiced support for the goals of the Ukraine invasion, he has emerged as a leading voice of Russian military bloggers who criticize Moscow's strategy in Ukraine, frequently posting these critiques to his Telegram account. In addition, Ukraine has charged Girkin with war crimes over his role in the 2014 annexation of Crimea where he rose to prominence.
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Girkin wrote in a lengthy Telegram post on Saturday that Shoigu's announcement does not go far enough to substantially help Russian forces. He wrote that the "multiple" increases in munitions does not compare to the more significant consumption of them.
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"Accordingly, in order for the troops to be able to use this weapon 'not artificially,' it is necessary to increase the output by an order (orders)," Girkin wrote, who also accused Shoigu and other Russian military leaders of being "idiots" who "do not understand what they say and write."
In his post, he added that the Russian population will continue to "swallow" statements from Russian officials that the war is going according to plan "for now." Eventually, he warned, the Russian "electorate" will begin to question why the war continues despite authorities' claims of advancements.
"Although many of the 'deep people' are already asking a simple question: 'If everything is so good and healthy with us, why is the war going on for the 14th month, the losses are high, and the victory is further away than at the beginning?'" he wrote.
Girkin's criticism comes amid new signals that Russia's invasion in the Eastern European country is stagnating. The British Ministry of Defense on Saturday reported that it is "increasingly apparent" that Russia's winter offensive in eastern Ukraine, with a particular focus on the symbolic city of Bakhmut, is failing.
In recent months, Girkin has become more vocal against Kremlin leadership. Last month, he called out Putin for visiting Crimea after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for his arrest. He has also said that the Russian leader's forces are "guaranteed" to lose the war.
Newsweek reached out to the Russian Ministry of Defense press office for comment via email.
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