UK defense secretary's remarks on Russian operation in Ukraine show lack of knowledge - Russian Defense Ministry

MOSCOW. Feb 25 (Interfax) - The Russian Defense Ministry has described United Kingdom Defense Secretary Ben Wallace's remarks on the Russian operation in Ukraine as his personal opinion lacking knowledge.

Media have quoted Wallace as saying that Russia lost 450 people and did not attain a single of its goals during the first day of hostilities in Ukraine.

"From the professional standpoint, UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace's personal judgments about the efficiency of the special military operation being conducted by the Russian Armed Forces are no more profound than his historical knowledge of the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War," Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Friday.

"However, considering that, as UK defense secretary, Ben Wallace has access to MI6 and military intelligence about the real situation in Ukraine, his judgments look different," Konashenkov said.

"In fact, Ben Wallace is trying to vindicate himself before the British Conservative Party's voters for catastrophic fails of Ukrainian security forces and hundreds of millions of taxpayers' pounds ineptly wasted by London on training the Ukrainian Armed Forces in accordance with NATO standards and providing them with British weapons," Konashenkov said.