Russian Lt. Gen. Apti Alaudinov delivers a stark assessment of the Ukraine war, saying many foreign fighters arrived expecting an easy “safari,” only to face Russia’s evolving battlefield strategy. In this hard-hitting interview, Alaudinov breaks down Moscow’s “active defense” doctrine, Russia’s drone dominance, and why Western-trained units are failing on the frontlines. He also discusses the geopolitical consequences for NATO, Israel, and the wider global security landscape.
This episode offers rare insights from one of Russia’s most prominent battlefield commanders — outlining how the conflict has transformed modern warfare, why casualty rates remain high, and what the West continues to miscalculate.
#Russia #UkraineWar #AptiAlaudinov #NATO #MilitaryAnalysis #RussiaUkraine #WarUpdate #Geopolitics #DefenseStrategy #APT
This episode offers rare insights from one of Russia’s most prominent battlefield commanders — outlining how the conflict has transformed modern warfare, why casualty rates remain high, and what the West continues to miscalculate.
#Russia #UkraineWar #AptiAlaudinov #NATO #MilitaryAnalysis #RussiaUkraine #WarUpdate #Geopolitics #DefenseStrategy #APT
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NewsTranscript
00:00We have a truly distinguished guest today, Lieutenant General Apti Alaudinov,
00:05hero of Russia, hero of the Chechen Republic, hero of the Donetsk People's Republic,
00:10commander of the Akhmet Special Forces, and deputy head of the main military political
00:15directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defense. Apti Aronovich, thank you for taking the time
00:20to speak with us. Good afternoon, you're always welcome.
00:24Right now, for obvious reasons, the world's media is focused on the battles around Pokrovsk,
00:30Kupyansk, and so on, but your troops are currently operating on the summit direction. Can you tell
00:35us about the situation on your section of the front and what overall trends you're observing?
00:40Well, I'd like to note that overall, all troops of the Russian Federation's Ministry of Defense are
00:45engaged in active offensive operations across all sectors where we're positioned, and today the
00:51most intense fighting is indeed unfolding around Pokrovsk. This sector is probably the key point
00:56where the enemy has thrown all its main forces to hold back our advancing troops. We've also chosen
01:03this as our primary direction of attack to liberate these cities and break through to operational space.
01:09In the sectors where the Akhmat Special Forces are located, we're also advancing in some areas.
01:15Our main task is to maintain an active defense to ensure the entire front line is engaged, drawing away
01:22and stretching the enemy's resources. So we're carrying out the missions assigned to us,
01:28and we're handling them well, because every day we destroy a huge amount of enemy equipment,
01:34inflicting damage, and gradually wearing them down.
01:37You used a very interesting term, active defense. It's interesting because when we look at Western
01:43military analysts and media, they often ask, why is Russia advancing so slowly? And they argue that the
01:50slow pace of advance is supposedly a sign of Russia's weakness. But as someone who's directly
01:55involved in these battles, explain why in this conflict, both sides are advancing so slowly?
02:01Look, if we're talking about both sides advancing slowly, I want to point out that only Russia is
02:07advancing. Now, the second point, you have to look at the line of defense, the line of contact.
02:13It's over 1,000 kilometers long, and across this entire 1,000 kilometer line, we're conducting active
02:20offensive operations in various sectors, destroying the enemy's resources in the process. If you take
02:27into account that the forms and methods of warfare have changed today, the main damage the enemy inflicts
02:33on us, and we on them, is done by unmanned aerial vehicles. Does it make sense for us to make sudden
02:40moves and lose a lot of people? Of course not. We're advancing steadily, gradually eroding and
02:47destroying the enemy's forces and assets. And today, we can say we've brought them to a state where
02:53they're about to crumble. But if we'd made a sharp breakthrough and surged forward, we'd have lost a
02:59huge number of people. Should we consider that a victory? No, because the situation shows we need
03:06to preserve our personnel as much as possible, keep advancing without giving the enemy a breather.
03:12But at the same time, we have to be ready for NATO forces to join the conflict at any moment. If we'd made
03:19that dash, spent a lot of resources and manpower, and then NATO decided to oppose us, we'd be in a position
03:26where our resources are depleted, while NATO steps in to help Ukraine, we'd automatically end up on the losing side.
03:35Today, Russian troops are the most combat capable in the world, with the most extensive combat experience.
03:42And we're not fighting the Ukrainian people, we recognize that. This is a proxy war through Ukraine,
03:49where NATO is fighting us. So it doesn't make sense for us to make sharp thrusts and movements and take
03:55heavy losses. It's much more advantageous to grind down the enemy's resources, making them tremble and start to
04:02fall apart, which is exactly what's happening now. I'd like to emphasize that last point. You said you're seeing
04:08signs that the enemy is starting to crumble. Of course. What exactly are those signs? How do they manifest?
04:14Look, we don't have to go far for an example. Take Pokrovsk. We remember a month ago when everyone
04:20was saying, including Zelensky, that everything was fine with them. When they were offered peace,
04:24they said no, they were ready to defeat Russia, and everything was great. Literally one or two
04:30months after they made that statement and rejected negotiations, even those proposed by Trump, we see
04:36the results. Kupiansk, Pokrovsk, and the whole agglomeration are gradually falling apart.
04:44Don't our viewers, Russian-American and worldwide, see that Russia liberates at least one or two
04:49settlements every day? On that direction, we free one or two every day. The same on other sectors.
04:57Our line of contact isn't static. We're pushing in everywhere, liberating here and there. We're
05:02forcing the enemy's resources to stretch constantly. They're stretching, trying to hold here, hold there.
05:08Of course, NATO has provided massive help in weapons, equipment, everything possible. At the same time,
05:15we see that even with all these resources, Ukraine can't hold the front anymore. That's the answer to
05:20your question. But you mentioned Western support. Since the beginning of this year, have you seen
05:25changes in the quantity and quality of Western support that the Ukrainians are receiving?
05:30Look, it's the simplest thing. Huge numbers of drones. Today, both America and all of NATO are
05:37testing all their modern drones, weapons, equipment, electronic warfare systems on Ukraine.
05:43We see that NATO is testing all the armaments they're producing now through Ukraine, and we feel it on
05:49the front. Huge amounts of drones, huge amounts of equipment that we destroy daily. Ukraine doesn't
05:55produce all this itself, so this equipment keeps arriving constantly. Today, Trump made a move where
06:01he says, I won't fund Ukraine. But at the same time, he sells weapons produced by America for money from
06:08European NATO countries. And that weaponry still ends up on the front. Of course, we feel it. Of course,
06:14we feel the strikes deep into Russia by unmanned aviation. And just recently, we witnessed them trying to
06:21hit Voronezh with attack MS. If there weren't informational and other direct help from America and NATO,
06:29how could they even strike? How could they operate those drones deep in our territory? They couldn't.
06:35In other words, the administration changed in America, but the intensity of support for Ukraine
06:40hasn't decreased. Well, look, I have this feeling, and I've said it before, and I'll repeat it now.
06:46Trump says one thing, then another. And it seems like he's not even in control of himself anymore,
06:51because he wants to say, that's it. I'll stop this war in one day. Then he says, I'll give 60 days,
06:58and nothing comes of it. His rhetoric is just, if Trump had issued an ultimatum and told Ukraine,
07:04wait, you end this war on the terms we accept now, the war would be over. Without American weapons,
07:10without American think tanks, without American satellites, what would even NATO do?
07:16Nothing. That's the answer to your question. Trump says one thing, but does something else entirely.
07:22I definitely want to discuss NATO's role in Ukraine with you in more detail. But first,
07:27I'd like to talk about drones, because now, naturally, drones are called the kings of the
07:33battlefield. They say drones have completely changed military tactics and strategy. What role
07:40do more traditional forms of weaponry like artillery, aviation, and infantry play?
07:46Well, look, if we're talking about the forms and methods of warfare changing, then yes, we have to
07:51understand that today the main emphasis on the battlefield has shifted to unmanned aviation.
07:57At the same time, of course, thinking that artillery is extinct or tanks, which are still needed on the
08:03battlefield, are obsolete. But today, there can't be tank offensives where entire tank armies advance.
08:11The tactics of warfare have completely changed, because a tank worth millions of dollars can be destroyed
08:17by a drone that costs $500. We have to understand that behind every war is economics. And if a state
08:25can't economically sustain the war, it automatically loses. So we can't respond to a missile worth
08:32millions of dollars with missiles that also cost millions. We need to use resources that cost much
08:39less. Or take a small drone that costs $500. It can destroy any complex worth tens of millions.
08:46So we had to rethink the forms and methods of warfare to economically ensure the destruction of
08:52enemy resources. There's no secret here. But even if we step away from the context of the special
08:57military operation, people often say now that drones are democratizing warfare, narrowing the gap
09:03between great powers that can afford advanced aviation, lots of tanks, artillery, and smaller
09:09groups that just make cheap drones. Absolutely correct. That's spot on. I've said this today,
09:14and I'll repeat it. Of course, the democratization on the world stage today comes from weapons like
09:20Russia's Kinzal and Zircon, America's famous carrier strike groups, which terrified the world,
09:26pulling up next to any country and defeating it with the power on those carriers. Today,
09:32any carrier can be sunk by one Kinzal or one Zircon. So in a war with Russia, American ships are no longer
09:40a power or a force. Drones have changed the balance of forces and means in the same way.
09:47There's that cult quote, God made men strong and weak, and I made them equal. Drones do the same for
09:53states today. A state with stronger drones can conclude that tanks, artillery, and other weapons
10:00aren't as crucial anymore. Getting back to the special military operation, who has the advantage
10:05in drones right now? And how does it show? Today, I'd say even though Ukraine is helped by all of NATO,
10:11the advantage in drones is on Russia's side. And how does that advantage manifest? It shows in the
10:17fact that Russia has a fully layered drone system for deep reconnaissance, strike drones with different
10:23warhead levels, flight ranges, maneuverability, and accuracy. There are many criteria. We can operate
10:31purely with Russian-made drones from the closest sectors to the farthest. How quickly is this
10:36technology developing? For example, what targets can you hit today that were inaccessible or hard to
10:42reach a year ago? All targets. Today, all targets. Our long-range drones can even destroy moving targets.
10:50Literally two years ago, Russia was probably just at the beginning of this development,
10:56while Europe had already supplied Ukraine with modern drones at that time. Now, our drones are
11:01so advanced that, in many ways, we're head and shoulders above all of NATO's unmanned aviation.
11:06What opportunities does this technological advantage give you in planning operations,
11:11both for offense and defense? It's no secret. According to analysts, not ours,
11:17Ukraine loses 40,000 people on the front every month. 40,000. And they can only mobilize 25,000 a
11:24month. So every month, Ukraine's manpower shrinks by at least 15,000, even with year-round mobilization.
11:32With our drones, especially our well-developed unmanned reconnaissance, we get serious intel that helps us
11:39detect and destroy the enemy maximally effectively. That's why we don't need to rush large offensives,
11:46because we take huge losses disproportionate to the results. We're actively improving our drones,
11:51and that's how we're achieving these outcomes. I recall the Kursk operation in which you were
11:58directly involved, and we followed what happened in January, February, and early March. There were
12:04tons of videos from that front showing Russian forces systematically destroying various Ukrainian
12:10armored vehicles and supply trucks trying to support Ukrainian troops in Kursk. At first,
12:15it didn't seem backed by major offensives, but after creating the so-called road of death,
12:22everything moved quickly. There's your example. We prepared Operation Potok,
12:27cut off all the roads they needed for logistics. That way, we destroyed a huge enemy grouping without
12:33heavy losses. I consider that smart warfare. Why take big losses when we can smartly organize the
12:40destruction of a sector, wipe out the forces there, and liberate such territory with minimal losses?
12:46That's what we're doing today around Pokrovsk and Kupiansk. We're seeing the same picture there now.
12:52The strategy you're describing is radically different from what Western media portrays.
12:57They love to say Russia relies primarily on so-called meat assaults. Does that match reality?
13:03Look, let the Western audience check what mobilization has been like in Ukraine.
13:08It hasn't stopped once in these four years. Russia conducted only one mobilization,
13:14calling up 300,000 people. And let them explain how we've been fighting for four years and still
13:19conducting offensives with such small forces without major mobilization. You can tell fairy tales to yourself.
13:27But if we're talking truth, Russia did one mobilization and is still advancing.
13:32Meanwhile, the Ukrainian army, which hasn't stopped mobilizing for four years, is still losing.
13:37So whose tactics are better? Fair point. But I have this question. It's no secret that Ukrainians
13:44have manpower issues. Western media writes about it. Ukrainians complain about it themselves.
13:50Yet the front isn't collapsing. Why can Ukrainians still hold defenses despite real manpower problems?
13:58If you look at their whole front, you'll see that behind the people they mobilize, catching them like
14:03dogs on the street and throwing them to the front, are nationalist formations that shoot them for
14:08retreating anywhere. You can see it online. If they try to retreat, they're killed, even with drones.
14:15These are punitive forces that don't let them fall back. And now another question. If we're talking about
14:22why the enemy's front isn't crumbling yet, as you say, if you remove NATO behind the Ukrainians' backs,
14:29how many days would that front last? The endless influx of equipment, gear, drones,
14:36everything to keep Ukraine from losing, still lets them stay afloat. But the panic in Ukraine today,
14:42I'm sure, will soon lead to Zelensky's replacement. Why? Realizing Russia can't be stopped,
14:48they're trying to push negotiations on us to halt the war, then replace Zelensky and his team,
14:55retrain Ukrainian troops. That already shows it's a tragedy there. Do you think America or Europe didn't
15:01know Zelensky is a thief, that his team steals hundreds of millions? They knew perfectly well.
15:07But only now they are pulling the corruption card. Umerov ran to America to testify against
15:12Zelensky's team. It's all meant to bring us to negotiation terms, to stop us. I think that's
15:19the answer to how we're advancing and whether the enemy's front is crumbling. Since we're on the topic
15:25of NATO support, including NATO equipment, I assume you've had plenty of chances to encounter
15:30Western weapons and tech on the battlefield. How would you rate their effectiveness?
15:34Absolutely worthless. If you look at the money this tech costs, I think it doesn't match the
15:39sums paid at all. Meanwhile, basic Russian equipment is far better adapted to combat conditions in Russia
15:47and Ukraine. Much more effective than any Western tech, no questions there. And of course,
15:53if we're talking about long range artillery... Himars, for example.
15:56No, artillery, I said. For example, the M777, a 155 millimeter gun, good piece, but very limited
16:04resource for accurate fire. And Himars. Okay, they're very expensive. Fine. You've given Ukrainians
16:09Himars storm shadow. What haven't you given them? And what changed? Nothing really on the front.
16:15What you give them costs a fortune. Yes, it's for laundering big money. Yes, the people producing this
16:20weapons, America's military industrial complex, get very rich. But what changed on the front today?
16:26Nothing. At first, they scared us with lethal weapons, gave javelins. What did that change?
16:31Absolutely nothing. Javelins proved unsuitable for our conditions. Then attack comes M777
16:38artillery storm shadow. What haven't you given them? And what did it change? For a brief moment,
16:44we had some issues somewhere. But within a month, it turned into a minus for the troops fighting us.
16:49And how do NATO tactics show themselves? Because Ukrainians not only fight with NATO weapons,
16:54they're trained by NATO instructors. And basically, there's an attempt to adopt NATO military doctrine.
17:01How effective has that approach been? Ukraine is fully fighting with NATO's approach, training,
17:06satellites, think tanks, and using everything NATO has, Ukraine is losing today. Do I need to answer
17:13that question? Well, maybe just a clarifying one. What were the shortcomings? Why what worked in Iraq
17:18and Afghanistan doesn't work here? Where exactly did those flaws show?
17:22Okay, I'll answer. Why didn't the Americans and NATO when planning war against us calculate that Russia
17:28is a nuclear power? Russia is a state with colossal combat experience. Russia is ready to fight for its
17:35sovereignty to the end. And Russia has a president named Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. And God loves Russia.
17:41That's what the Americans and NATO didn't account for when starting this war. We're not those guys
17:46in sandals with Kalashnikovs from last century. We're a state with highly developed military power.
17:53Today, we have missiles no other country has. That's why NATO tech, including American carriers,
17:59are just tin cans now. One Zircon missile can sink any tin can called an American carrier. When you don't
18:06account for all that, you have to understand your power, which is terrifying for the states you've
18:11conquered and broken so far. What about Iraq, Libya, Syria? We're incomparable in spirit, strength,
18:19or power. That's what they should have considered, but they didn't. Besides this attempt to mimic NATO
18:24in doctrine and tactics, we've also seen over the past nearly four years, many NATO army veterans coming
18:31to fight for Ukraine as mercenaries. How do these mercenaries perform on the battlefield? How effective
18:38is their experience and approach in these conditions? They came to fight Russia thinking it'd be a safari
18:43like in Africa, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria. We killed them in bunches. We killed them in bunches,
18:50and it's no secret. We destroy the enemy without asking whose passport they have. We don't care if it's
18:55American or whatever. Today, we've shown that these mercenaries who came to fight us took such losses
19:01that most have fled Ukraine. I don't see those professionals who thought they could just come
19:06kill Russians and leave happy. Are they more or less effective than Ukrainian soldiers?
19:11Look, I'll say one thing. If comparing by spirit, I can swear that after the Russian army,
19:17the strongest soldiers are Ukrainians, and I'd rate them higher in spirit than the rest of NATO's
19:22soldiers. That's real. Ukrainians are ready to stand to the death, and they do. I wouldn't say that about
19:29NATO. When beer isn't delivered on Friday, NATO soldiers get depressed. Ukrainians don't have
19:36that. They're just like us Russians. I read your interview from October 2023 where you talked about
19:42Israeli mercenaries leaving Ukraine. I admit I didn't know about their presence. Can you tell us
19:47who these Israeli mercenaries were and what they were doing there? Basically, the Israeli mercenaries
19:53we're talking about are a projection of America. Wherever America is, Israel is, and vice versa.
20:00That's no secret to us. Israeli mercenaries, like others from NATO, were in Ukraine fighting Russia.
20:07They realized it's no safari, and they bailed home too. To us, they're nothing more than other mercenaries.
20:14Can't say they're incredible specialists. Yes, they're specialists where they kill unarmed women,
20:21children, elders. They're their strong warriors. But fighting Russia, sorry, I didn't see their
20:27power or strength. Since we're on Gaza, as an expert in urban combat, how do you assess the
20:32Israeli army's actions in Gaza? How does their tactics differ from Russia's in the special military
20:38operation? Does Israel have tactics? Israel is a fascist state. No tactics when Israel uses American-made
20:45bombs and missiles to kill tens of thousands of women, children, elders. Is that tactics? No,
20:51wait, we're fighting Ukraine. If you've seen us fight like that anywhere, then compare us. Israel has
20:57no combat tactics. They destroy everything in front of them, sparing no women, children, or elders.
21:03That's not tactics. I'll repeat, it's the absence of any tactics. Interestingly, when we look at what
21:09Israel supporters say, their argument is that, unfortunately, you can't fight any other way
21:14in such a large city with ongoing battles. The only way is to bomb everything and destroy around.
21:20You have urban combat experience too. Is that argument really valid? That's nonsense. That
21:27argument means nothing. I liberated 36 settlements in the Luhansk People's Republic with Akhmat Special
21:34forces, including major cities like Rubishne, Severodonetsk, Lysikansk. Go there and see if
21:40they're destroyed like Gaza's cities. Did we kill tens of thousands of women, children, elders? No. We
21:47fight people who fight us with weapons. We don't fight women, children, or elders. That's the difference
21:53between the Russian and Israeli armies. There it's women, children, elders, hiding behind supposed militants
22:00somewhere. But sorry, if you can't fight those militants and instead kill the entire Palestinian
22:06people, what kind of soldiers are you? You're fascists who deserve no respect. So I don't think
22:12the Russian army compares to the Israeli one at all. We not only don't kill women, children, elders,
22:18we even try to spare our enemies' lives. If you look me up online, you'll see I always order my fighters.
22:25If possible, take them prisoner alive. Don't kill them, even our enemies. But the Israelis kill tens
22:33of thousands of women, children, elders, and say they can't do otherwise. In that case, they shouldn't
22:40fight. Just go home and live their lives, not torment people, not torment or kill a whole nation.
22:47Since we're discussing the competence of Israel's armed forces, you said a few months ago that Trump
22:52saved Israel from defeat against Iran. That's the opposite of the Western mainstream view.
22:57They say Israel came, bombed everything loudly, and showed superiority. Why did you conclude Israel
23:04was on the brink of defeat in the war with Iran? I'll answer. Israel prepared a very good operation,
23:10I agree. Their agents struck Iran hard initially by killing much of the country's military leadership.
23:18In those pinpoint strikes, Israel did well. They bribed people, set up cells, they hit anti-missile systems.
23:25That was done well. But if you remember the chronology after that strike, what does Netanyahu do?
23:32He addresses the Iranian people. Were the residents of Iran Iranian people? We are not your enemies.
23:38We did this and that, and you must rise and overthrow your leadership. Instead, the Iranian people united
23:45became one. All those Israeli agents were arrested, executed. And on top of that, Iran launched a
23:52missile strike that completely destroyed the Iron Dome, which they claimed nothing could penetrate.
23:58Strikes hit Israeli cities. If it continued, believe me, the Israeli people would have taken to the streets
24:04and devoured Netanyahu. And Trump jumped into the war, supposedly dropping three deep bombs on Iran's
24:11basalt mountains, destroying their nuclear program. Then everyone went home as winners. Trump said,
24:18I stopped the war. I'm the winner. Israel said, We defeated Iran. We're winners. Iran said,
24:26We're winners because we forced Israel to admit they prepared an operation they didn't win.
24:32We breached their Iron Dome, damaged their cities, made them drag in their master America to defend them.
24:39Trump pulled Israel out of shame. He helped Netanyahu escape so the Israeli people wouldn't rise and say,
24:47You're done, Netanyahu. We're not following you. The people were ready. Unrest started on the streets.
24:55People began protesting against Netanyahu. So Trump saved Netanyahu and Israel from disgrace.
25:02That's why when we hear things twisted, putting it all upside down, we see how they talk about how bad Russia is.
25:10Russia wants to attack everyone. But Russia said for years, Leave us alone after 1991 or when the Berlin Wall fell.
25:19There was an agreement that NATO wouldn't expand eastward. But all these years, NATO moved east.
25:26You gradually took states around Russia, violating all agreements. When Putin gave his Munich speech in 2007,
25:36what did he ask? Don't violate the agreements we made. Don't cross red lines.
25:42No one listened. Eight years of Minsk talks. After they failed because Russia was forced to start the special operation,
25:50Merkel and Hollande left office and said on air they deceived Russia for eight years to give Ukraine time to prepare for war with Russia.
25:59Wait. Where's the justice? Where's the truth? America and Europe have so many masks we can't see anything human behind them.
26:07In these states' politics, run by the deep state that controls everything, we can't see justice or truth.
26:14So we have to listen. You watch and think, oh, how scary we are. But really, we say one thing. Leave us alone.
26:22We don't want war. But if you don't, we'll fight to the end. And I'll repeat Putin's words. Why do we need a world without Russia?
26:31If there's no Russia, believe me, there'll be no America or Europe. Guaranteed. They need to hear that.
26:37But we don't want war. We want peaceful lives. We're masters of one-sixth of Earth. We have enough land,
26:44all resources on our territory. We're not fighting for a piece of Ukraine. We're fighting for our sovereignty.
26:50And when it's about our sovereignty and NATO missiles at our fence, 500 kilometers from Moscow, sorry,
26:57will go to the end. So those telling fairy tales about Israel, us, Iran, China, stop. Or it'll go too far.
27:06Why does America defend Israel so fiercely? I'll answer. Right now, America and Europe care
27:13about Israel because Epstein, who bought an island as a Mossad agent, set up conditions where all
27:19presidents, billionaires, statesmen from those countries came engaging in pedophilia. They brought
27:26boys and girls from five years old, raped and killed them, all recorded on video in Epstein's files. All these
27:34people are hooked by Mossad, by Israel. That was the biggest operation Mossad and Israel ran in America
27:41and Europe. Today, you do whatever they say. You give them anything because your leadership is fully
27:48compromised. The day they say no, they know those files will be published and they'll be swept away.
27:54That's politics. The deep state runs everything as it wants. And the deep state mainly consists of people
28:00from that state. Don't make us the monsters predators when your states are run by real Satanists
28:06who've turned from God, real pedophiles who've lost all moral decency. That's the whole problem.
28:12On that powerful note, I'd like to thank you, Apti Aronovich, not only for the detailed breakdown of the
28:18special military operation, but also for analyzing warfare in the 21st century and discussing Israel,
28:25Gaza, Iran, and the U.S. in depth. So thank you very much for making time for us.
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