The front lines where Ukraine and its allies had hoped for a summer breakthrough now epitomize the bleak, dark winter ahead — of Russian resurgence and Kyiv’s mounting losses.
The front lines where Ukraine and its allies had hoped for a summer breakthrough now epitomize the bleak, dark winter ahead — of Russian resurgence and Kyiv’s mounting losses.
“As we like to say in the army, the plan was good on paper, but we forgot about the trenches,” joked Ihor, a commander in the 15th National Guard. CNN is only using his first name to protect his identity for security reasons. Speaking with CNN deep in a command post in Orikhiv, in southern Ukraine, he is interrupted by panicked noises in the radio room.
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The Ukrainians face relentless waves of Russian convict recruits, properly trained and equipped, backed by armor, and often – they believe – given a mix of drugs to bolster their attack. Ukrainian soldiers showed CNN drone footage of an injured Russian, his legs severed, yet a ghoulish smile on his face, seemingly oblivious to the pain.
Those fighting in besieged Ukrainian trenches say they now face another threat: the use of gas as a weapon. Nine incidents have been recorded in recent weeks in this area, one Ukrainian combat medic told CNN, in which a caustic and flammable gas had been dropped by drones onto Ukrainian lines, causing one fatality. The gas is used to cause panic and followed by conventional shelling or drone attacks, soldiers impacted said.
The front lines where Ukraine and its allies had hoped for a summer breakthrough now epitomize the bleak, dark winter ahead — of Russian resurgence and Kyiv’s mounting losses.
The Ukrainians face relentless waves of Russian convict recruits, properly trained and equipped, backed by armor, and often – they believe – given a mix of drugs to bolster their attack.
Ukrainian soldiers showed CNN drone footage of an injured Russian, his legs severed, yet a ghoulish smile on his face, seemingly oblivious to the pain.
“Usually, more meat means more mince,” Ihor said, a reference to Russian generals throwing their forces into the “meatgrinder” of the front line without concern for their losses.
In a tiny bunker closer to the front line, CNN observed a Ukrainian drone unit, part of Ihor’s command, trying to hunt Russians at a nearby crossroads.
The crisis in US and EU funding for Ukraine is at the forefront of their minds here, as a series of grainy drone images show bare tree lines, injured Russian soldiers lolling in a crater, and a landscape so cruel it seems remarkable any human life emerges from it.
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I'm an armchair colonel. But I think Ukies are not committing fully to the offensive for fear of high casualties and the bad PR it brings. However, the Russian people have shown to be immune to losing thousands of soldiers since they are completely cowed by Putin. This means a battle of attrition will favor the Russians. Ukies have no choice but to yolo like it is Verdun if it ever seeks to win this war. They need to KO the Russians in one blow and push them out of Ukraine. Only then can the ukies hunker down again and weather the human waves.
The staleness of the war feel very much like WW1. WW1 was not won at the frontlines. It was won by the industry and the logistics networks. Ukraine needs a way to harm the Russian industry and logistics, while getting more support of the western economies.
Most people thought the '2nd largest superpower in the world' would have an invasion of the poorest country in Europe wrapped up in a few weeks. After Ukraine defended themselves and took back huge swaths of their territory, people readjusted to Russia's (lack of) power.
Now the primary driver is making sure Ukraine stays armed so every invading Russian is forced to go the fuck back home.
Yeah, but people also thought Ukraine could take back Crimea and see how that's going.
Their rhetoric was the same, too. Ukraine just needs these weapons and they'll be able to accomplish this goal.
I'm waiting for everyone who was gungho about that to come out and admit they were wrong.
It's been awhile, but I see no shortage of posters like you telling me Ukraine just needs more weapons and they're be able to accomplish a different goal.