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| Photo Credit: AP. |
As the Ukrainian war enters its 4th month, the fighting in the Donbas region of Ukraine is coming at a high cost, posing severe strain on both sides which has led to low morale among Russian and Ukrainian forces. NATO chief warned on Sunday that the war may last for “years”.
Britain’s
defense ministry said in its daily assessment of the war that “Combat units
from both sides are committed to intense combat in the Donbas and are likely
experiencing variable morale,” according to The Associated Press.
The assessment
said that Ukrainian forces have suffered some levels of desertions as a result.
The story is not different for Russian forces as both men and officers are
uncertain of the direction the war is going and its objectives.
“Ukrainian
forces have likely suffered desertions in recent weeks,” the assessment said,
but added that “Russian morale highly likely remains especially troubled,”
according to The Associated Press.
It said
“cases of whole Russian units refusing orders and armed stand-offs between
officers and their troops continue to occur.”
The British
Defense Ministry noted that many Russian soldiers of all ranks “likely remain
confused about the war’s objectives.”
According to
The Associated Press, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in an
interview published on Sunday in the German weekly Bild am Sonntag, that
“nobody knows” how long the war could last. “We need to be prepared for it to
last for years,” he said.
Mr
Stoltenberg urged allies to control to provide military assistance to the war
torn country and ”not to weaken support for Ukraine, even if the costs are
high, not only in terms of military aid, but also because of the increase in
energy and food goods prices.”
He added that
“the costs of food and fuel are nothing compared with those paid daily by the
Ukrainians on the front line.”
He said that
if the West does not provide the needed support, the implication is that Russia
may reach its objective in Ukraine just like it did in Crimea in 2014
compelling the West “to pay an even greater price.”
The
statement by the British defense ministry admitted that both Russian and
Ukraine have continued to conduct heavy artillery bombardments against each
other on axes to the north, east and south of the Severodonestsk zone but that
has not changed anything on the front line.
Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a trip south from Kyiv to visit troops on the
front line as some form of morale booster to the troops who are daily facing
series of aerial bombardments from the invading Russian forces.