Thread by @SamRamani2

Mikhail Khodaryonok was one of the few Russian state media voices who warned about the difficulties of invading Ukraine before February 2022

Here's what he has to say now /1

Khodaryonok admits that Russia lacks the resources to defend Belgorod, and highlights how Belgorod officials have attacked the Russian Defence Ministry on this

Khodaryonok calls for additional fortifications in Grayvoron and Shebekino /2

Khodaryonok wants air power and artillery to be taken to defend the Russia-Ukraine border. This is how serious the threat is

He says they need to be either taken from frontline areas like Kherson, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia or from the reserves of the Russian military /3

Khodaryonok warns that Ukraine will carry out Shebekino-style incursions in other regions of Russia to stretch their forces across a 1,500km

These operations will be followed by a serious Ukrainian counter-offensive /4

Khodaryonok's commentary spurred extreme reactions on Russian state TV

Alexander Shpakovsky called for an end to the SVO and the start of the Great Patriotic War where all Russians need to participate

The sense of alarm is real after the Belgorod attack /END

You can watch Khodaryonok's full commentary and the strident reactions to it on Olga Skabeeva's show here