Ukraine Losing 4-5 Men to Advance a Few Hundred Feet, Morale Dips: Report
Ukraine is losing, on average, 4-5 men to advance 100 meters in its counteroffensive.
Russian forces were well-prepared and were using dense minefields to hinder Ukrainian advancements.
One soldier said that while Ukraine had practiced how to capture trenches, but not holding them.
Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. Loading Something is loading. Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Ukrainian troops are suffering from deteriorating morale as casualties mount in their grinding counteroffensive to take back territory from Russia, a report says.
"Every hundred meters of land we gain means 4-5 infantrymen who have left the ranks – this is the average loss," an unnamed Ukrainian infantryman told The Kyiv Post.
He said that as soon as they attack Russian positions, they use artillery to "hammer our positions from front to back."
"As long as we are standing and holding on, we can say there are no losses; there may be some light injuries. As soon as we move forward, there are hefty losses. Up to half a unit for every kilometer we capture," or roughly 0.6 miles, "and it is not a given that we will hold this kilometer later," he said.
The soldier, fighting near Russian-occupied Donetsk, told the outlet that his unit had captured and then lost several Russian trenches because Ukraine's armed forces had been training to capture them but had not practiced holding them from counterattacks, he said.
A combat medic who requested anonymity told The Kyiv Post that the Russians were given too much advance notice of Ukraine's counteroffensive, which meant they were well-prepared.
Russian forces prepared by creating dense minefields, which means Ukraine's forces are moving "at a snail's pace." "Every square inch is mined," he said.
He added that many sappers are being killed as they go ahead of the other troops.
Ukrainian soliders are pictured near Kharkiv, Ukraine, in February. Marienko Andrew/AP
Along with coming up against mines, Ukrainian soldiers are also facing attacks by booby traps, shell strikes, serial bombs, artillery, and more, the soldier said.
"In one month, we have only advanced one kilometer and a half. We move forward by inches, but I don't think it's worth all the human resources and materiel that we have spent," he said.
Despite some cases of deteriorating morale, the soldiers said their units were still willing to carry on attacking.
Other units who spoke to the outlet painted a different, more upbeat picture, particularly those fighting around Bakhmut, who said attacks have been victorious and that morale is excellent.
While Ukraine is suffering from high casualties, fewer men are being killed than expected because of cautious tactics and high-quality armored vehicles supplied by Ukraine's Western allies, The Times of London reported.
Source: Business Insider
