1 of 1 President of Russia Vladimir Putin during a meeting with businessmen from the militaryindustrial sector, December 23, 2022 — Photo: Sputnik/Press Office of the President of Russia/Kremlin via Portal President of Russia Vladimir Putin during a meeting with businessmen of the militaryindustrial sector, on December 23, 2022 — Photo: Sputnik/Press Office of the President of Russia/Kremlin via Portal
Almost from the beginning of the fullscale Russian invasion of Ukraine, there have been complaints from Russian troops about the lack of training and equipment. In a new video posted to social media, Russian soldiers call out to Russian President Vladimir Putin for help right from the war zone.
In the recording, posted to Telegram and reported by German news agency DPA, the group’s spokesman laments the lack of equipment and says military commanders sent unprepared units to war. He appears masked and surrounded by a dozen uniformed men, also with covered faces.
The soldier appeals to Putin, as commanderinchief of the armed forces, to ensure that military commanders do their job. He laments the lack of equipment and lack of leadership on the part of the commanders.
“We know we’re not the only ones making such inquiries,” he says, claiming he’s “in the Donetsk region.”
Putin did not visit the battlefield
He demands that Putin settle the situation on the ground, not just on paper. So far, Putin has not visited troops in the combat zone unlike Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has occasionally been to the front lines.
The Russian spokesman complained that there was a lack of equipment such as night vision goggles to carry out combat tasks.
Other fighters, as well as the wives, mothers and sisters of the soldiers had already complained about the precarious situation of the Russian troops at public demonstrations.
The spokesman accuses the commanders of ignoring the presidential decree and using unprepared units with the stormtroopers.
“The leadership of our regiment doesn’t talk to us, intimidates us and threatens arrest if we refuse to fight and don’t go to the front,” he complains.
“Unjustified Risk”
The man complains that many combatants are dying needlessly because they are not being supported by the secret services and are not communicating with other units.
The man points out that the average age of the units is 40 years and many are limited due to health problems.
“We do not refuse to perform territorial defense tasks. We refuse to take any unjustified risks machine guns against tanks, against mortars and snipers,” he said.
After months of heavy fighting in eastern Ukraine, both sides are complaining about a lack of ammunition. In the battle for Bakhmut, a largely destroyed town, both the Russians around the Wagner Group mercenaries and the Ukrainian defenders demand more ammunition.
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Ammunition requests from both sides
Despite all the complaints, the fighting continues with undiminished ferocity. According to British experts, East Bakhmut is largely under Russian control. But Kiev does not want to give up defending the city.
Ukrainian CommanderinChief Valeriy Zalushnyi called for new ammunition and more equipment during a phone conversation with US Chief of Staff Mark Milley. He also stated that, according to official information, his country’s air defenses had to be strengthened.
In an interview published by the Bild am Sonntag newspaper on Sunday (March 12), Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that the lack of ammunition was the “number one problem” in the fight against the Russian occupiers.
“Germany could really help more with ammunition. With artillery ammunition,” he said.
However, according to their boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Russian mercenaries of the Wagner group also lack artillery shells and cartridges. For the battle of Bakhmut, his troops need 10,000 tons of ammunition every month, Prigozhin said in a video calling for urgent supplies.
The video allegedly shows him on the roof of a house in Bakhmut. Many destroyed houses and streets can be seen in the area.
Russian advance at Bakhmut
According to a US think tank, Russia’s advance in Moscow’s campaign to capture Bakhmut appears to have stalled.
In an assessment of the longest land battle of that war, the Washingtonbased Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said there had been no confirmed advances by Russian forces at Bakhmut.
According to the institution, Russian forces and units of the Kremlincontrolled Wagner paramilitary group continue to conduct ground attacks on the city, but there is no evidence they have been able to make any progress, ISW said on Saturday.