Russia faces localized riots, lack of experienced commanders and poor morale as Moscow enters the third month of its war with Ukraine, the Defense Ministry (MOD) has said.
Russia has suffered “devastating losses among its middle and lower-ranking officers,” the Defense Ministry said, and the army had no highly trained officers as a result.
These factors, the Defense Ministry said in a series of tweets, would lead to lower morale and “continued poor discipline” among Russian forces.
Russian forces invaded Ukraine on February 24 and were expected to capture Kyiv in 72 hours.
But the invading forces encountered strong Ukrainian resistance and were besieged with trouble.
The rubble hangs from a heavily damaged residential building in a Russian bombing raid on Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. Credit: AP
“Russia is likely to suffer devastating losses among its middle and lower-ranking officers in the conflict. Brigade and battalion commanders are likely to be deployed forward in danger because they have an uncompromising level of responsibility for the performance of their units. “, wrote the Ministry of Defense.
The statement continued: “With multiple credible reports of riots among Russian forces in Ukraine, the lack of experienced and credible brigade and company commanders is likely to lead to further morale and continued poor discipline.” .
As the war progresses, Russian President Vladimir Putin has turned his attention to the industrial region east of the Donbass and is focusing on capturing areas not yet controlled by pro-Moscow separatists.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told French television TF1 on Sunday that “Moscow’s unconditional priority is the liberation of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions,” and added that Russia considers them “independent states.” .
Regions of Ukraine were hit on Sunday night by new Russian airstrikes. In the eastern Donetsk region, fighters fought back and forth for control of towns and cities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is inspecting the damaged buildings while visiting the war-torn Kharkiv region. Credit: AP
“The enemy is strengthening its units,” said the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff. “He’s trying to get his foot in the door.”
In the east, Russian forces stormed Sievierodonetsk after unsuccessfully trying to encircle the strategic city, Ukrainian officials said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the situation there as “indescribably difficult”, with relentless bombardment of Russian artillery destroying critical infrastructure and damaging 90% of buildings.
Deteriorating conditions led to fears that Sieverodonetsk could become the next Mariupol, which spent nearly three months under Russian siege before the last Ukrainian fighters surrendered.
The mayor, Oleksandr Striuk, said that “we have no power or communication. The city is completely ruined. “
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Russia also intensified its efforts to capture the nearby city of Lysychansk, where civilians rushed to escape the persistent bombing. , saying it was costly for Russia and would yield few returns.
“When the battle of Sieverodonetsk is over, no matter which side the city is on, the Russian offensive at the operational and strategic level is likely to be over, giving Ukraine a chance to restart its counter-offensive at the operational level to push back Russian forces.” , said the institute. dit.