Russia’s Battered Army Has No Quick Fix in Ukraine; Demoralized Russians Wanted Out Before Losing Major Ukrainian City; After strikes by Armed Forces of Ukraine, corpses of Russians are taken away by crowded trucks; Russia abandoned ‘high-value equipment’ during retreat from Kharkiv area, LIVE UPDATES and MORE
WSJ: Russia’s Battered Army Has No Quick Fix in Ukraine:
Kyiv’s counterattack tests Moscow’s forces and raises stakes for Kremlin at home
Russian forces sent fleeing by Ukraine’s recent counterattack are attempting to establish defensive positions and regain their footing. It is a difficult pivot even under ideal conditions, and so far Moscow’s forces show signs of struggling to adapt.
Battlefield setbacks are just one challenge facing the Kremlin as it tries to secure its territorial gains in Ukraine and fend off nascent criticism at home. Kyiv’s forces this month have retaken dozens of settlements and more than 3,500 square miles of Russian-controlled ground in the northeastern Kharkiv region, according to government officials.
Ukraine continued attacking Russian-held territory on Friday, hitting the easternmost parts of the Kharkiv region and other parts of eastern Ukraine. They hope to capitalize on those gains to advance their offensive in the southern city of Kherson. Attacks on government buildings in Kherson and the eastern city of Luhansk killed two Moscow-installed officials, local Russia-backed authorities said.
On the battlefield over recent weeks, Russia has lost hundreds of heavy military vehicles, including over 100 tanks, according to open-source intelligence reports. It also lost several pieces of classified electronic-warfare equipment that are now in the hands of Western-allied forces. Many Russian soldiers—in the thousands, by some estimates—have either surrendered or will become prisoners of war.
Ukraine’s advance will also allow its rockets to hit targets deeper within Russian-controlled areas, potentially in occupied parts of Ukraine such as Crimea and in Russia itself.
Within Russia, criticisms of President Vladimir Putin and his regime remain limited but are growing. Spreading wariness about the war could limit Mr. Putin’s options for responding, such as a limited mobilization or a draft, which under Russian law likely would require an outright declaration of war. —>READ MORE HERE
NY POST: Demoralized Russians wanted out before losing major Ukrainian city: report
Some of the Russian troops occupying the strategic Ukrainian city of Izyum drafted letters begging for reassignment, citing poor health and “moral exhaustion.”
The 10 letters, obtained by the Washington Post, offer a rare look into the morale — or lack thereof — of the beleaguered Russian forces occupying eastern Ukraine.
“I refuse to complete my duty in the special operation on the territory of Ukraine due to lack of vacation days and moral exhaustion,” wrote one soldier who identified himself as the commander of an anti-aircraft missile platoon.
That phrase was used by another soldier, who complained of “physical and moral exhaustion.”
Yet another asked to be relieved from duty due to “the worsening of my health and not receiving the necessary medical aid.”
The authenticity of the handwritten letters has not been verified, but the Washington Post reported that the drafts were among piles of personal effects belonging to Russian units that fled Ukraine’s counter-offensive this month. —>READ MORE HERE
Follow links below to +++++relevant+++++ and related stories:
+++++Russia-Ukraine News LATEST UPDATES: (REUTERS) (AP) (NY POST) and (WSJ)+++++
+++++Russia abandoned ‘high-value equipment’ during retreat from Kharkiv area+++++
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