Anger and mistrust towards commanders and the country’s political leaders has grown in past months.
Their only defences from the barrages are machine guns, a small concrete shelter and a decrepit, Soviet-era armoured personnel carrier.
“Why doesn’t the president come here?” spits Vasyl. “Then he’ll see first-hand how poorly supplied we are — although we’re dodging artillery almost every day under this ceasefire he himself brokered.”
Petr Poroshenko, Ukraine’s president, seems to prefer visiting training grounds far from the war zone, testing advanced weapons that have yet to make it to the front line, he says, adding: “Our morale is burning out due to their actions.”
Vasyl asks not to be identified. But his comments are both typical of those heard among Ukrainian soldiers in Donbass these days, and significant.
This time last year, Ukrainian forces were advancing and retaking territory from the militiamen, before an invasion by regular Russian forces last August reversed their progress and led to a morale-sapping defeat at the battle of Ilovaysk.
4 Comments
richard brown
before an invasion by regular Russian forces last August reversed their progress and led to a morale-sapping defeat at the battle of Ilovaysk.”
What a stupid statement.
It would be nice to see some proof of that, instead of blaming Banderastan’s (AKA NATO’s mercenaries) avoidable losses in all of the cauldrons (meat grinders) , on Russia.
The FT just wanrs to portray the reason they are demoralised on not enough weapons…instead of lack of faith in rhe Banderast Nazis.
roger
Sadly the knife is in the hands of FT and the rest. How can Russia prove beyond doubt they have not invaded? Negative proof is helpless faced by conscious and deliberate lying on the part of the US and vassals.
stephen holwell
how come Kiev are getting advanced weapons !! the USA said it will only give them deference weapons and its the Kiev who are shelling the east side of the Ukraine .
roger
But the US is white as snow. it is only selling (or giving) weapons to the Gulf states, who are selling them (how shocking!) to Ukraine. And anyway it’s to contrast the (so far invisible) russian invasion. Isn’t that democratic?