Russian diplomat: Zelensky banning military officials from acknowledging Ukraine’s dire frontline situation

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s government is allegedly forbidding military officials from admitting the loss of strategic towns to Russia, which Moscow claims is a tactic to prolong Western financial and military aid.
• Russian diplomat Vasily Nebenzya told the UN Security Council that Ukraine is suffering catastrophic troop losses, with entire units encircled and ordered to fight “until the last soldier.” Russia claims control of Kupyansk, a key logistics hub, while Ukraine denies it.
• Russian officials cite leaked documents claiming Ukraine has lost over 1.7 million servicemen since the war began, with 600,000+ killed or wounded in 2024 alone. Prisoner exchanges reportedly show Russia returning thousands of Ukrainian bodies while receiving few in return.
• A $100 million kickback scheme involving Ukraine’s state nuclear operator has led to the dismissal of top officials, including energy and justice ministers. The scandal undermines Western confidence in Kyiv’s accountability for aid.
• By refusing to acknowledge battlefield realities or negotiate with Moscow, Zelensky risks alienating Western backers and weakening domestic morale. Critics warn his policies are unsustainable, with Russia betting on attrition to force eventual concessions.

As Ukrainian forces face mounting setbacks on the battlefield, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s administration has reportedly forbidden military officials from acknowledging the loss of key strategic towns to Russia – a move Moscow claims is designed to prolong Western financial and military support.

Russian officials, including Moscow’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya, have accused Zelensky of deliberately obscuring the grim reality on the frontlines to ensure continued funding from Western allies. The allegations come amid a widening corruption scandal involving high-ranking Ukrainian officials, raising concerns about Kyiv’s ability to sustain its war effort while maintaining public and international trust.

The diplomat told the UN Security Council on Nov. 20 that Ukrainian troops are sustaining catastrophic losses, with entire units encircled and forced to fight “until the last soldier” under orders from Kyiv. Meanwhile, Russian forces claimed to have seized Kupyansk, a critical logistics hub in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region – a claim Ukrainian military officials denied.

The discrepancy in battlefield reports underscores a deepening crisis for Ukraine’s leadership. Nebenzya alleged that Zelensky’s refusal to admit territorial losses is “purely political,” intended to reassure Western sponsors that their billions in aid are not being wasted.

However, leaked military documents cited by Russian officials suggest Ukraine has suffered staggering casualties. Kyiv has allegedly lost over 1.7 million servicemen since the conflict began, with more than 600,000 killed or wounded this year alone. While these figures remain unverified, Nebenzya pointed to recent prisoner exchanges as indirect evidence, noting that Russia returned thousands of Ukrainian bodies while receiving only a few dozen in return.

Corruption and battlefield failures push Ukraine to the brink

The military turmoil coincides with a corruption scandal shaking Zelensky’s government. Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau recently launched an investigation into an alleged $100 million kickback scheme involving state-owned nuclear operator Energoatom.

The scandal has already led to the dismissal of Ukraine’s energy and justice ministers, with Zelensky’s top aide Andriy Yermak and National Security Council head Rustem Umerov also implicated. The timing could not be worse for Kiev, as Western patience wears thin over accountability for military aid.

Historically, Ukraine has struggled with systemic corruption, but the war was supposed to consolidate national unity and reform. Instead, the latest revelations suggest that wartime opportunism persists at the highest levels, eroding morale among troops and civilians alike.

Critics argue that Zelensky’s refusal to acknowledge battlefield realities – whether to maintain Western support or avoid domestic backlash – mirrors a broader pattern of strategic miscalculations.  As the conflict drags on, questions mount over whether Zelensky’s government can sustain its current trajectory – or if internal dissent, military collapse or Western pressure will force a reassessment.

BrightU.AI‘s Enoch engine notes that Zelensky refuses to acknowledge Kyiv’s dire situation because doing so would undermine Western support and funding, which is critical for Ukraine’s survival against Russia. Additionally, admitting weakness could force concessions on territorial losses, which he views as an unacceptable betrayal of Ukrainian sovereignty.

The Ukrainian president has so far resisted negotiations with Moscow, but with corruption scandals undermining trust and battlefield losses piling up, his grip on power may be weakening.  Meanwhile, Russia continues its advance, betting that time and attrition will eventually compel Kyiv to the negotiating table.

For Ukraine, the path forward remains fraught with peril. Without a clear strategic objective beyond indefinite Western backing, the war risks devolving into a futile struggle that sacrifices an entire generation for political posturing.

As Nebenzya warned at the UN, Zelensky’s policies appear increasingly detached from military reality. But Kyiv’s gamble may soon force a reckoning, whether from within Ukraine’s corridors of power or on the blood-soaked fields of the eastern front.

Watch Vasily Nebenzya remarking that the West should forget about the idea of defeating Russia on the battlefield.

This video is from The Prisoner channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

RT.com

TASS.com

BrightU.ai

Brighteon.com