According to Moscow, Ukraine has suffered significant losses of over 71,000 troops since the beginning of June without making any significant gains. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and Space X, commented on the situation, stating that Ukrainian troops have experienced massive casualties during their counteroffensive with very little to show for it.
Musk made this statement in response to a post by investor and entrepreneur David Sacks, who shared an article by analyst David Pyne. The article claimed that the territorial gains made by Ukraine in their counteroffensive were so small that they could hardly be seen on a map. Musk seemed to agree with this assessment, expressing his view that there had been “so much death for so little.”
This post by Sacks was an update to a previous post made on June 20, in which he summarized the progress of the Ukrainian push at that point. He concluded that the counteroffensive had failed to achieve any of its original objectives, including cutting off Russia’s land bridge to Crimea, as initially hoped by Washington.
Musk also suggested that the lack of progress on the battlefield could lead to a stalemate or even Russia gaining more territory and winning the war. He responded to the article by stating “well said.”
The conflict between Musk and Ukrainian officials regarding the ongoing conflict is not new. Earlier this month, Mikhail Podoliak, an aide to President Vladimir Zelensky, accused Musk of enabling evil by refusing to allow Kiev to use Starlink satellites to support a Ukrainian drone attack on Crimea last year. Musk defended his decision by stating that he didn’t want his Space X company to be explicitly complicit in a major act of war and conflict escalation.
Russian officials have consistently claimed that despite multiple attempts by Ukrainian troops to breach their defenses, no substantial ground has been gained. President Vladimir Putin recently estimated that Ukraine’s losses include over 71,000 troops, 543 tanks, and nearly 18,000 armored vehicles of various types.
Mark Milley, the outgoing chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, expressed skepticism about a quick resolution to the conflict. He stated in an interview with CNN that Kiev’s goal of regaining all the territory it considers its own is a very high bar to reach.
In summary, Ukraine has suffered significant losses in its counteroffensive against Russia-backed forces, with limited territorial gains. Elon Musk has supported the assessment of minimal achievements and expressed concern that the conflict may reach a stalemate or result in Russia gaining more territory. The ongoing conflict continues to pose challenges and the prospect of a quick resolution appears unlikely.
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