(RoyalPatriot.com )- According to a statement from the British Ministry of Defense over the weekend, soldiers on both sides of the Ukraine conflict are having problems with morale. But Russian troops looked to be particularly disturbed.
The British MoD detailed how entire Russian troops were defying commands as the fighting became more vicious and bloody in an online intelligence bulletin.
The bulletin states that combat units from both sides are engaged in intensive action in the Donbas and are probably experiencing “variable morale.”
Ukrainian troops have probably lost some soldiers to desertion, while morale in Russia is likely to be still very low. There are still instances of whole Russian units defying orders, with soldiers and superiors engaging in armed stand-offs.
Despite the increasingly intense fighting, almost little has changed on the front line, according to British defense sources. Ukrainian and Russian troops have conducted significant artillery bombardments on axes to the north, east, and south of the city of Severodonetsk.
Severodonetsk, a city in eastern Ukraine that has seen some of the heaviest battles since the start of the crisis, is adjacent to a hamlet that Moscow said Russian soldiers had gained control of over the weekend.
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on Sunday that it had gained control of the village of Metyolkine, which had only 800 inhabitants before the fighting. Ukrainian fighters in the town have reportedly surrendered to the Russians, according to the Russian TASS state news agency. This gives Russia yet another victory in the area and brings them one step closer to achieving the Kremlin’s objective of “liberating” the separatist regions in the east.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson underlined his government’s commitment to Ukraine after returning to the UK during his most recent trip to Kyiv. Johnson predicted that the British government would back Ukraine financially and with military hardware for a very long time.
As he arrived at RAF Brize Norton in England, Johnson told reporters that when Ukraine fatigue is setting in, it is imperative to convey that we are with them for the long haul. We are giving them the strategic resilience that they need.
“The Russians are making inch-by-inch progress, and it is crucial for us to demonstrate what we already know. Ukraine can win and will win,” said Johnson.
The remarks came during an unexpected trip to Ukraine, the third since the invasion started on February 24.
