Little by little, Russia’s army is advancing further into eastern Ukraine. Dissatisfaction with President Zelensky is growing. Critics accuse him of lulling people into a false sense of security.
The war seems far away from Kiev these days. Sun and temperatures of over 20 degrees bring people onto the streets. They stroll through parks, lick ice cream and sunbathe while the artillery thunders a few hundred kilometers to the east – two realities in one country.
But being completely exuberant is out of the question for 19-year-old Margarita from Kiev anyway. You can relax a bit, but an alarm could come at any time and you would have to postpone your plans if there were air raids again. “The situation at the front is shitty,” she says. “I am absolutely dissatisfied with those who are responsible for this. Nobody is helping our boys.”
“Meat grinder tactics” of the Russians
The frustration is great. Russia has made further advances in the east of the country in recent days. It is a slow advance, fought through massive fire and with high losses. This is sarcastically called “meat grinder tactics” in Ukraine. According to Ukrainian data, more than 1,000 Russian soldiers are currently being killed or wounded in the attacks every day.
Nevertheless, this strategy seems to be working. The Russian army was able to conquer more and more villages in the Donetsk region and increasingly forced the Ukrainians into tactical retreat. Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrskyj makes no secret of the difficult situation. The situation at the front has worsened, he wrote on the Telegram messenger service at the weekend. According to Syrsky, Russia has gained a significant advantage in terms of forces and resources and has achieved tactical successes.
Warning not to underestimate Russia
Whether these will lead to Russia being able to quickly advance deeper into the region is another matter. Military experts from the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) doubt that the Russian army is currently capable of doing this.
But Roman Pogorilyi warns against underestimating the Russian army. He is one of the founders of Deep State Map, an independent Ukrainian online site that closely analyzes military movements. “They are already pushing forward, ever further,” he says. However, the Ukrainian soldiers would ensure that they would only advance slowly. They would be stopped again and again.
Shaking heads about Russian successes – and criticism of Zelensky
Nevertheless, there is anger and shaking of heads in Ukraine that Russia was able to take control of several towns in a short period of time. This is the case with the journalist and Zelensky critic Yuri Butusov. He accuses the army leadership of brushing off negative news for a long time and lulling people into a false sense of security.
He says commanders in the country are quickly fired for truthful reports. So some commanders wouldn’t report at all. “There have been a lot of optimistic reports that don’t reflect the situation,” he says. You have to clarify what the reason for this is – whether it is due to ignorance, whether subordinates are not reporting things, or whether they are drawing incorrect conclusions. “But it is known who makes up the military hierarchy.”
The leadership is responsible for strategic planning errors that the troops cannot always iron out. This is now evident on the battlefield, said Butusov – a criticism of the army leadership and also of President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is also the country’s commander in chief.
Roman Pogorilyi from “Deep State Map” evades the question of the military’s wrong decisions. “Mistake” is a big word, he says. You have to understand that there is a lot to do. Ukraine needs more weapons and resources. “We see to what extent the enemy is equipped. To destroy that, we need firepower to shoot down aircraft. Air defense to protect our country from fire.” The situation is changing, the Russians are pushing further forward.
New weapons shipments announced
Nervousness in Ukraine is increasing and calls for help from abroad are getting louder. These calls would be heard, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Monday during a visit to Kiev. All allies are checking what else they can do and he expects new announcements soon. “We are working hard to meet Ukraine’s urgent needs. Our responsibility is to ensure that announcements are put into action and that weapons and ammunition deliveries happen as quickly as possible.”
In fact, in recent days, more and more countries have agreed to supply even more weapons to Ukraine. For example, on Tuesday Germany promised, among other things, to deliver another ten Marder infantry fighting vehicles. And Latvia also announced a new aid package that will also strengthen its air defense. The news from Ukraine over the past few days shows how time is of the essence.
Marc Dugge, ARD Kiev, tagesschau, May 2nd, 2024 9:42 a.m