Russian warship marines reject Putin’s order to attack Ukrainian city
A group of Russian warship marines have rejected an order by President Vladimir Putin to attack the Ukrainian port city of Odesa.
According to UK Sun, a fleet of warships was poised to attack the city but a riot was said to have broken out on the warships after some troops refused to fight.
Russian opposition politician, Ilya Ponomarev, revealed that the mutinous troops were marines from the 810th Brigade.
It was reported that the Russians reportedly got in touch with the Ukrainians, requesting to leave the bay (which was defended with mines and anti-tank hedgehogs) unharmed, against their superior’s orders.
Confirming the report, a retired Ukrainian diplomat Olexander Scherba, tweeted: “Last night a large group of Russian warships was about to launch landing on Odesa beaches.
“They approached the coast. Russia was about to shell the beach. Ukraine was about to shoot back when they suddenly withdrew.
“Reports that marines from Crimea refused to attack Odesa.”
Scherba’s tweet was corroborated by Ponomarev, the only member of Russia’s Duma to vote against the 2014 annexation of Crimea.
His Facebook message read: “Ukrainian Air Force and other defenders of Odesa were preparing to give a decisive fight back to the opponent, but at the very last moment the Russians came in contact and asked to give them the opportunity to leave the Gulf.
“According to our data, there was a real rebellion on Russian ships; Russian men refused to follow the order and storm the coast of the Slavic Russian-language city.”
“Russian soldiers, take an example from your comrades!”