Ukrainian soldiers admit deadlock in Donetsk, fear running out of combat forces

Ukrainian soldiers fire at Russian targets in Bakhmut (Photo: Getty).

Ukrainian soldiers told the Kyiv Independent that they are worried about not having enough combat-ready personnel to continue the pace of attacks and counterattacks in the upcoming conflict with Russia.

Accordingly, many soldiers fighting on the Donetsk front said that making a breakthrough in this area is becoming increasingly difficult.

As Russia continues to send ammunition and large numbers of troops to reinforce the front line, Ukrainian soldiers worry about how long they can keep up the pace of fighting.

"If Ukraine no longer has people capable of fighting like us, only inexperienced personnel will go to the battlefield," Roman, who joined the army in 2016, admitted.

A driver, who was assigned to the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade near Bakhmut, also told the newspaper that he was worried about the risk of Ukraine running out of soldiers with morale and combat experience.

"We are running out of manpower. This war will be very, very long," admitted the driver nicknamed Ninja.

Ukraine has not released figures on the number of soldiers killed in its war with Russia, but in August, the New York Times quoted US officials as estimating the number at around 500,000.

Oleksandr Maroshnyk, a 31-year-old infantryman from Odesa who served in the 93rd Special Mechanized Brigade, told the Kyiv Independent that his unit originally had 110 men in June 2022.

However, out of the original 110 men, only four remained in combat because his teammates were either killed or wounded.

Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians were drafted into the army when hostilities with Russia broke out, joining Kiev’s armed forces of 261,000 men at the time. But over the next year and a half, a series of high-casualty battles – such as the Battle of Bakhmut – significantly reduced the initial force.

Now, only a fraction of the Ukrainian soldiers who have served since the beginning of the war remain, according to the newspaper.

Ukraine continues to mobilize more men to join the army, but the survival rate of new recruits is often low. In addition, sending inexperienced forces to the battlefield makes combat more difficult because the recruits are not psychologically ready or lack the necessary skills.

On the other hand, seeing comrades die and spending up to 13 hours a day in the trenches has also taken a heavy toll on the mental health of Ukrainian soldiers, who told the Kyiv Independent they are increasingly exhausted.

For soldiers on the battlefield losing longtime comrades, it is a war of attrition both mentally and physically with an uncertain future.

"I just want to go home, I'm tired. When will this war end?" said the 41-year-old soldier, nicknamed Anatoly.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/binh-si-ukraine-thua-nhan-be-tac-o-donetsk-lo-can-luc-luong-tac-chien-20231028081334349.htm