[NorseViking]

About half if not more of the “Russians” in theater are 1st and 2nd Army Corps who are native to Lugansk, Donetsk, Mariupol and Zaporozhiye. They obviously know their land better than West Ukrainian Galicians.
Not to mention their overwhelming advantage in firepower over Ukrainian military.

[adorno]

About half if not more of the “Russians” in theater are 1st and 2nd Army Corps who are native to Lugansk, Donetsk, Mariupol and Zaporozhiye.

Then you have to ask where their allegiance lies. Why would natives of Ukraine help the Russians. No doubt that, the morale of the Russian troops is not as good as that of the Ukes who are defending their homeland. Morale counts for a lot, and when a solider is not into the fight, that fight tends to get lost, or defections occur