Kiev, Ukraine (AP) – Four months of intense fighting in Ukraine appear to have eroded the morale of troops on both sides, leading to abandonment and rebellion against officials’ orders, defense officials said of Britain on Sunday. The NATO leader warned that the war could continue for “years”.
“Combat units from both sides are ready for an intense battle in the Donbas and are likely to experience a change in morale,” the Pentagon said in its daily analysis of the war.
“Ukraine’s forces have likely been abandoned in recent weeks,” the statement said, adding that “Russia’s morale is likely to be particularly concerned.”
He affirms that “the instances of refusal to command Russian units and the armed confrontation between officers and their troops continue”.
Separately, Ukraine’s top intelligence service said it had received incoming phone calls in which Russian soldiers complained about front line conditions, poor equipment and a general lack of personnel, according to a report. from the Institute for War Studies.
In an interview published Sunday in Germany’s weekly Bild am Sonntag, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said “no one knows” how long the war will last. “We have to be prepared for it to take many years,” he said.
He also called on the allies “not to weaken Ukraine’s support, even at high spending, not only in terms of military aid, but also because of rising energy and food prices”.
In recent days, Gazprom, Russia’s gas company, has cut supplies to two key customers in Europe: Germany and Italy. In the case of Italy, energy officials are expected to meet this week to discuss the situation. On Saturday, the head of Italy’s energy giant Eni said that in case there was more gas purchased from other sources, Italy should survive next winter, but warned the Italians that the “ restrictions “may be imposed that affect gas use.
Germany will limit the use of gas for electricity generation amid concerns over possible shortfalls caused by cuts in supplies from Russia, the country’s economy minister said on Sunday. Germany tries to completely fill its gas deposits during the cold winter months.
Economy Minister Robert Habek said Germany would try to compensate by increasing coal burning, which makes fossil fuels more polluting. “It’s bitter, but in this situation it’s only necessary to reduce gas consumption,” he said.
However, Stoltenberg stressed that “food and fuel costs are nothing compared to what Ukrainians pay every day on the front line”.
Stoltenberg added: “Furthermore, if Russian President Vladimir Putin achieves his goals in Ukraine, such as the annexation of Crimea in 2014, we will have to pay a higher price.”
The British Defense Ministry said Russia and Ukraine continued to conduct heavy artillery bombardment north, east and south of Siverodonetski’s pocket ax, but there were minor changes to the front line.
Luhansk governor Sergei Heidai told the Telegram on Sunday: “The situation in Sievierdonetsk is very difficult, where the enemy is conducting aerial reconnaissance in the center of the city with drones, controlling the fire, quickly adapting to our change. “
The Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday that Russian and separatist forces controlled Metolkin, a community east of Sievierdonetsk.
On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky traveled south of Kiev to visit troops and hospital workers in the Mykolaiv and Odessa regions along the Black Sea. He handed out rewards to dozens of people at each stop, shook hands and he repeatedly thanked them for their service.
Shortly after Zelensky left Mykolaiv, “the enemy fired on units of the defense forces with guns and rocket grenades in the districts of Pravdin, Posad-Pokrovskoye and Blahodatne,” the Ukrainian army said in a briefing on Sunday. . .
In other attacks in the south, Ukraine’s Southern Military Operations Command said on Sunday that two people had been killed in a bombing raid on a Galitsyn community in the Mykolaiv region and that the bombing in the Bashtansky district was continuing.
The Russian Defense Ministry said naval missiles destroyed a factory in the city of Mykolaiv, where howitzers and armored vehicles supplied by the West were stored.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has expressed concern that “little Ukrainian fatigue” is starting to be introduced around the world.
If Putin wins, it will be a disaster. He wanted nothing more than to say, “Let’s freeze this conflict, let’s stick to the ceasefire,” Johnson said Saturday, a day after a surprise visit to Kiev, where he met Zelensky and offered to continue aid and supports. military training.
The heavy weapons supplied by the West reached the front line. But Ukrainian leaders have been arguing for weeks that they need more weapons and they need it sooner.
On Sunday, Pope Francis, concerned about arms reinforcements, added his warning to those who may lose focus in Ukraine, which he believes deserves to be defended.
“And let us not forget the oppressed Ukrainian citizens at this moment,” Francis told the audience in St. Petersburg. Peter’s Square. He was asked: “What have I done today for the Ukrainian people?”
Source: Huffpost
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