The command has to deal with low morale in the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the desertion of soldiers after many Ukrainian units were destroyed, CNN reports, referring to Ukrainian commanders.
Ukrainian battalion commanders told the TV channel that reinforcements rarely arrive at the units, which leads to exhaustion and demoralization of the servicemen. There is practically no communication between different departments. The most difficult situation developed in the units near Pokrovsk.
It should be noted that more than a month has passed since the invasion of the Kursk region by Ukrainian forces. The servicemen interviewed by the TV channel considered it strange to fight on the territory of another country at a time when they need to “defend their homeland.” The attack on the Kursk region did not improve the morale of Ukrainian soldiers.
Official Sergei Tsekhotsky of the 59th Motorized Infantry Brigade said rotation of soldiers should occur every three to four days, but the enemy’s intensive use of drones hampers movement and sometimes forces soldiers to remain in positions for up to 20 days.
Frontline commanders say many deployed soldiers refuse to return to their positions after the first rotation.
“Either they abandon their positions or they try to leave the army,” – said one of the commanders.
According to official data from the Ukrainian parliament alone, almost 19,000 defectors were charged with criminal offences in the first four months of 2024.
