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On Saturday evening, Russian President Vladimir Putin (70) appeared in front of the cameras. In an interview, the head of the Kremlin announced that Russia will station tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory. At the same time, Putin talked about several other topics – and loved to lie about them.
The American think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has analyzed Putin’s statements. Their finding: The Kremlin boss is acting “out of panic because he fears the possible success of a Ukrainian counter-offensive”. Therefore, according to the ISW, he makes claims about his own military strength that are demonstrably false.
Claim 1: Russia will build 1600 new tanks by the end of the year and will have three times as many tanks as Ukraine
According to various reports, only one factory is currently building tanks in Russia – reportedly about 20 units per month. That would take the factory more than six years to reach Putin’s goal of 1,600 tanks. Due to a lack of alternatives, Putin is currently sending old Soviet-era T-34 and T-55 tanks to the front lines. These old tanks cannot compete with the modern Abrams or Leopard tanks that the West supplies to Ukraine.
According to reports, Russia is currently losing about 150 tanks per month. Just to maintain the current tank level, 1350 new tanks would be needed by the end of the year.
Spicy: Russian military bloggers have already reacted to the statements on Telegram – questioning their president’s words. According to the ISW, one thing is clear: the Russian people are increasingly seeing through Putin’s propaganda.
Claim 2: Deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus is necessary because Britain sends depleted uranium munitions to Ukraine
With this claim, Putin is arguing for a decision by Western countries to justify his own actions. He claimed on Saturday night that Britain was forcing Russia into action. The Kingdom would send depleted uranium ammunition to Ukraine. This makes Ukrainian citizens sick and destroys the environment.
The ISW shows that ammunition with depleted uranium is significantly less radioactive than natural uranium, which is used in nuclear weapons, among other things. Putin keeps this fact a secret from his people. Moreover, depleted uranium cannot be used to make nuclear weapons – according to experts, we are currently a long way from a “nuclear escalation in the West”, as Putin repeatedly tells his people.
“Putin’s concern for Ukraine’s environmental well-being also seems somewhat misplaced given the massive damage Russian troops have inflicted on Ukraine’s agricultural lands, not to mention Ukraine’s cities and people,” the ISW continues. The American think tank summed it up: “Putin’s argument is factually incorrect.”
Claim 3: Only the West is responsible for Russia now stationing nuclear weapons in Belarus
According to the ISW, Putin must have long planned to place Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus – plans to do so are said to have existed in the Kremlin even before the major attack on Ukraine in February 2022. As early as November 2021, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko (68) offered Russia to place nuclear weapons on its territory.
Putin probably decided to do it now for tactical reasons. In this way, the Kremlin boss can keep the Western narrative alive as a threat, while at the same time hoping to belittle Ukrainian morale. Behind the scenes in the Kremlin, there are fears of a major counter-offensive by Ukraine in the coming weeks. “Putin probably fears the possible success of this offensive and is now responding accordingly,” the ISW said.
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
