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Facing relentless Russia, Ukraine confronts shortages of men and morale
Christian Science Monitor ^ | February 4, 2025 | Scott Peterson

Posted on 03/05/2025 5:18:43 PM PST by MinorityRepublican

Not enough soldiers Ukraine is digging deep defenses here west of Pokrovsk. But it is grappling with manpower and firepower shortages all along the 600-mile front. These are exacerbated by delayed and sometimes uncertain military support from American and European allies. It’s an issue that many analysts say will worsen dramatically for Ukraine if the Trump administration reduces or ends the flow of weapons. President Donald Trump indicated Monday that he might be prepared to maintain U.S. military aid to Ukraine in return for rare earths, essential to high-tech electronics.

Ukraine is struggling to mobilize the troops its army needs, and is sometimes using the troops it has inefficiently. Soldiers here say that specialized personnel are being posted to the trenches to serve as gun-toting infantry soldiers. A recent move to send aircraft maintenance crews to bolster infantry units, for example, instead of keeping military aircraft in the air, caused such a public outcry that the decision was reversed.

Russia has taken advantage of Ukraine’s shortfalls recently, to capture towns further south such as Kurakhove and Vuhledar, creating a springboard for a determined move on Pokrovsk, as it seeks to capture all of the eastern Donetsk region.

Russia has saturated this portion of the front line with drones, artillery barrages, and perhaps most importantly – and successfully – an apparently endless supply of Russian soldiers deployed in human wave offensives that both sides call “meat assaults,” due to high casualties.

Recent videos circulating online depict Russian soldiers executing captured Ukrainians at point-blank range, or mocking the bodies of Ukrainian soldiers. The United Nations’ Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine expressed “alarm” Monday at a “sharp rise” in executions of captured Ukrainian soldiers – a war crime – tabulating at least 79 killings since August.

(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...


TOPICS: Ukraine
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1 posted on 03/05/2025 5:18:43 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican
Ukraine hasn't run out of retards and downs syndrome youngsters to send to the front.

2 posted on 03/05/2025 5:20:15 PM PST by Governor Dinwiddie ( O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is gracious, and His mercy endureth forever. — Psalm 106)
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To: MinorityRepublican

90% of the military aged and eligible are dead or they’ve managed to leave the country.

I believe this was deliberate to depopulate Ukraine to acquire their lands. It will just be interesting to see who buys up the land.


3 posted on 03/05/2025 5:21:06 PM PST by Jonty30 (Groundhogs don't falsify their predictions for grant money, whereas climate scientists do. )
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>> Recent videos circulating online depict Russian soldiers executing captured Ukrainians at point-blank range...

kindly kidnapped and provided as conscripts by Zelenkyy’s jackbooted thugs


4 posted on 03/05/2025 5:21:42 PM PST by Gene Eric
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To: MinorityRepublican

Steiner’s attack will stabilize the front.


5 posted on 03/05/2025 5:22:44 PM PST by ClearCase_guy
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To: MinorityRepublican

Bottom Line, Zelenskyy is a poor leader who is more interested in hobnobbing with his Hollywood pals.


6 posted on 03/05/2025 5:23:52 PM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Wilson sent over 4 million Americans to save Europe in WWI. FDR sent 2 million in WWII. The Euros can rangle up some bodies this time.


7 posted on 03/05/2025 5:24:08 PM PST by shanover (...To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them.-S.Adams)
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To: dfwgator
Bottom Line, Zelenskyy is a poor leader who is more interested in hobnobbing with his Hollywood pals.

It's up to the Ukrainian Parliament to replace him with a new leader.

8 posted on 03/05/2025 5:26:23 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
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To: Jonty30
It will just be interesting to see who buys up the land.


9 posted on 03/05/2025 5:29:49 PM PST by BipolarBob (My goal is to lose 10 pounds this year. So far, only thirteen more to go.)
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To: Governor Dinwiddie

What’s a retard? I haven’t heard that word since the 1980s :)

Tthey are in a lot of trouble and they have one person to blame.

And he blames everyone else...Mr. z


10 posted on 03/05/2025 5:30:30 PM PST by dp0622 (Tried a coup, a fake tax story, tramp slander, Russia nonsense, impeachment and a virus. They lost.)
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To: MinorityRepublican

It is mud season in Ukraine, so Russian advances have slowed considerably. They have been stalled outside Pokrovsk for several weeks. Perhaps Ukraine can use the time to make the corrections suggested in the article.


11 posted on 03/05/2025 5:31:00 PM PST by hinckley buzzard ( Resist the narrative.)
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To: MinorityRepublican

I guess all of the Ukrainian familiarity with Russian war doctrine didn’t prepare them for a grinding war of attrition. When the Ukrainian military collapses there will be a race to Kiev.

The only hope that the Ukraine has is peace negotiations but Little Z-Man know that he is a dead man unless he wins - which isn’t going to happen.

I wonder if the Ukrainians have deadpool betting on Zelensky.


12 posted on 03/05/2025 5:31:40 PM PST by wildcard_redneck ( )
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To: Jonty30

Tell any leftists you know they can enlist to fight with the Ukraine Foreign Legion. If we could send all of our communists to the front lines, I’d vote to fund that war for the next 100 years.

https://ildu.com.ua/


13 posted on 03/05/2025 5:33:40 PM PST by MountainWalker
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To: BipolarBob

Maybe. But who is Blackrock representing?
That will be interesting.


14 posted on 03/05/2025 5:33:43 PM PST by Jonty30 (Groundhogs don't falsify their predictions for grant money, whereas climate scientists do. )
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To: dp0622
"What’s a retard? I haven’t heard that word since the 1980s :)"

You must be hanging out with safe space lefties. I see the word all the time in comments all over the web and I have used it on this forum plenty.

15 posted on 03/05/2025 5:33:56 PM PST by wildcard_redneck ( )
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To: MountainWalker

I’ve repeatedly told liberals their main impetus in wanting the war was to show Russia who’s the boss.

The war was totally avoidable by talking with Russia about their legitimate concerns and addressing them, with some allowance for Russia to use land to create a buffer, and keeping our end of the deal. But the liberal wanted Ukraine to be in NATO and then we’d militarize the Ukrainian border and ask Russia what are they going to do about that?


16 posted on 03/05/2025 5:36:20 PM PST by Jonty30 (Groundhogs don't falsify their predictions for grant money, whereas climate scientists do. )
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To: wildcard_redneck
I guess all of the Ukrainian familiarity with Russian war doctrine didn’t prepare them for a grinding war of attrition.

Which is why Valerii Zaluzhnyi stopped being the Commander in Chief. He knew how the Russians were fighting. I'm sure that he was warning Zelensky. But he didn't listen so Zaluzhnyi was replaced.

17 posted on 03/05/2025 5:38:37 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
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To: dp0622
I saw a video the other day of a Ukrainian press-gang shanghai a downs syndrome adolescent off his bicycle, and and press him into service.

I was totally shocked, and continue to be totally disgusted.

It is not surprising considering the morality of Ukrainians. Ukraine's traditional exports have been blonde hookers, call-girls, internet hackers, and con artists. That country is steeped in corruption from top to bottom.

18 posted on 03/05/2025 5:41:43 PM PST by Governor Dinwiddie ( O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is gracious, and His mercy endureth forever. — Psalm 106)
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To: MinorityRepublican

But...but...but...

I thought the ukes had 800,000 troops.

I know: I read it here. /s


19 posted on 03/05/2025 5:42:31 PM PST by logi_cal869 (-cynicus the "concern troll" a/o 10/03/2018 /!i!! &@$%&*(@ -)
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To: MinorityRepublican
Here they are.


20 posted on 03/05/2025 5:48:39 PM PST by McGruff (Biden will go down in history as the worst president ever.)
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