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The lack of conditions at the front has prompted some Russian soldiers in eastern Ukraine to issue a public appeal on social media.
According to The Guardian, two Russian soldiers in Donetsk complained in a video posted online about fatigue caused by long shifts and lack of supplies. “Our people are hungry and cold. For a significant period of time, we had no materials, no medicines, no food,” said the fighters who are part of the 113th regiment in Donetsk.
“Given our constant presence and the fact that among our employees there are people with chronic diseases and mental problems, many of the issues raised are ignored by the authorities in the barracks,” they added.
A soldier who fought in Kharkiv and is now in the eastern part of the country told a British newspaper that he got in touch with a lawyer because of poor conditions at the front. “I have been fighting in Ukraine since the beginning of the war, more than three months ago. It’s tiresome. My unit wants a break, but our commanders say they can’t replace us.”
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These reports corroborate intelligence reports from countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States of America, as well as international news agencies and newspapers, of fatigue and declining morale among Russian military personnel.
According to The Guardian, the number of victims among Russian soldiers is increasing. According to the latest data released by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, about 31,360 Russian troops have died since the invasion began on February 24.
According to Russian strategy experts, the invading army is well equipped for short and intense campaigns that require the use of heavy artillery, but ill-equipped for a long-term operation, such as the occupation of Ukraine, which involves the positioning of many forces on the territory.
“The Russian army does not have the size necessary to adjust or rotate its forces when a significant part of the combat power is trapped in a war,” declared Michael Kofman and Rob Lee in an analytical text on Russia’s military potential.
