Retired Russian colonel speaks out on Russian state TV about the war of aggression in the Ukraine

Is this finally the beginning of the end of Putin the Terrible's reign?

"It was an extraordinary piece of television.

The programme was 60 Minutes, the flagship twice-daily talk show on Russian state TV: studio discussion that promotes the Kremlin line on absolutely everything, including on President Putin's so-called "special military operation" in Ukraine.

The Kremlin still maintains that the Russian offensive is going according to plan.

But on Monday night [5/16/2022?], studio guest Mikhail Khodarenok, a military analyst and retired colonel, painted a very different picture.

He warned that "the situation [for Russia] will clearly get worse" as Ukraine receives additional military assistance from the West and that "the Ukrainian army can arm a million people".

Referring to Ukrainian soldiers, he noted: "The desire to defend their motherland very much exists. Ultimate victory on the battlefield is determined by the high morale of troops who are spilling blood for the ideas they are ready to fight for.

"The biggest problem with [Russia's] military and political situation," he continued, "is that we are in total political isolation and the whole world is against us, even if we don't want to admit it. We need to resolve this situation.

"The situation cannot be considered normal when against us, there is a coalition of 42 countries and when our resources, military-political and military-technical, are limited. ..."

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Retired colonel speaks out on Russian TV - BBC News Russia's mainstream media outlets offer a view of the Ukraine war that is unlike anything seen from outside of the country. For a start, they don't even call it a war. But our Russia editor reflects on a rare exchange broadcast on state TV.

Credits: Russischer Militärexperte: Der Ukraine-Krieg wird nicht einfach zu gewinnen sein Im russischen Staatsfernsehen äussert sich der ehemalige Oberst Michail Chodarjonok pessimistisch zur Kriegslage in der Ukraine. Sein Auftritt wird von der russischen Führung gebilligt worden sein. Denn bereits vor Kriegsausbruch warnte Chodarjonok vor einer russischen Invasion in der Ukraine.