Russia mocks UK PM, says 'you should surrender to Putin's troops' like Mariupol defenders

The Russian permanent representative to the United Nations, Dmitry Polyanskiy, on Thursday demanded UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson follow the Ukrainian suit in Mariupol and "surrender to the Russian army." Polyanskiy's stern response came after PM Johnson tweeted his discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The British PM expressed solidarity with the "brave defenders of Mariupol".

In a mocking tone, Polyanskiy quoted the phrase "brave defenders of Mariupol," sarcastically advising Johnson to lay down arms supply to Kyiv. He went on to add, "I believe that the Russian Embassy in London would not refuse to guide you through this process." 

The remarks come after the British PM engaged in a "wide-ranging discussion" with Zelenskyy over the ongoing Russian war in Ukraine. During the phone call, PM Johnson reaffirmed London's commitment to Ukraine. "I updated the President (Zelenskyy) on support flowing to Ukraine's defence, including long-range artillery, shore-to-ship missiles, and unmanned drones," Johnson said. This is a part of the UK's additional £1.3 billion military aid package for Ukraine. The leaders further expressed mutual concerns over Russian President Vladimir Putin's "reckless" blockade of the Black Sea ports.

UK claims Russia 'sacked' senior commander for 'poor performance'

The UK Defence Ministry (MoD) in its Thursday update on the Russian war in Ukraine said that Moscow is sacking senior commanders over "poor performance." The report added that the Kremlin is also using "cover-ups and scapegoating" within the Russian forces and security system. "In recent weeks, Russia has fired senior commanders who are considered to have performed poorly during the opening stages of its invasion of Ukraine," the UK Defence Ministry said in the statement.

The intel update also claimed that involved Russian forces are "increasingly distracted" by efforts to avoid being held responsible for war crimes and other operational setbacks. "This will likely place a further strain on Russia's centralised model of command and control, as officers increasingly seek to defer key decisions to their superiors. It will be difficult for Russia to regain the initiative under these conditions," the UK Defence Ministry report said.

Ukraine claims to have killed over 28,000 Russian soldiers since Feb 24

The Russia-Ukraine war has now continued for 86 days. Amid the Russian onslaught, the Ukrainian military claims to have "liquidated" as many as 28,000 troops since February 24 when Putin launched his invasion. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine on Wednesday, 18 May, claimed that Russian armed forces have been "increasingly refusing" to carry out orders of the commands to conduct active offensive operations in Ukraine.  

(Image: AP)