Withdrawal started too late… Most of them seem to have been taken prisoner.
Morale decline accelerates after failed counterattack… Serious aftermath of the fall
The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 20th (local time) that with the fall of Audiuka in eastern Ukraine to Russia, the crisis faced by the Ukrainian military is turning out to be more serious than initially expected.
High-ranking Western officials point out that the defeat of Audiuka will greatly lower the morale of the Ukrainian military, saying that hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers were captured by Russian forces or went missing due to their failure to withdraw from Audiuka.
As military support to Ukraine has been cut off due to the U.S. Congress’s refusal to pass the budget, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the Ukrainian army to defend the front line due to a shortage of artillery shells.
Two local soldiers said that 850 to 1,000 troops were missing during the withdrawal from Audiuka.
U.S. officials emphasize that Audiuka’s withdrawal is not strategically important. It is argued that this will not lead to a complete collapse of the Ukrainian military’s defense line because the Russian military does not have the ability to launch an additional large-scale offensive.
However, as a large number of Ukrainian troops are taken prisoner, opinions are changing. This is because the morale of the Ukrainian military continues to decline due to the failure of the counteroffensive last summer, the replacement of the Supreme Commander, and difficulties in replenishing troops.
The Ukrainian army is requesting 500,000 more troops, but is facing political opposition. As hundreds of troops with extensive combat experience were taken prisoner this time, the military shortage is expected to become even more serious.
This is why the impact of Audiuka’s fall is felt larger than initially assessed.
General Oleksandr Tarnowski, commander of the eastern region of Ukraine, said on Telegram on the 17th that although the withdrawal was carried out according to plan, “some of the Ukrainian troops were captured by enemy attacks at the end of the operation.”
A senior Ukrainian official emphasized that only six troops were captured. However, local soldiers and Western officials said that the withdrawal was not carried out in an orderly manner, causing chaos as the front line collapsed and a large number of troops were captured. The Ukrainian military’s withdrawal operation was planned incorrectly and started too late.
The Ukrainian military planned to withdraw its infantry while special forces and the elite 3rd Independent Assault Brigade blocked the Russian advance. However, these units failed to slow the Russian advance.
In addition, as each unit used different communication equipment, the problem of poor communication between units triggered the failure of the evacuation operation.
Local soldiers reported that one unit withdrew without contacting other units, resulting in the laggard unit being surrounded.
A video of the Russian army occupying Audiuka executing a captured Ukrainian soldier is being circulated on social media.
Meanwhile, the Russian military also appears to have failed to anticipate that the Ukrainian army would quickly collapse. “Russia is belatedly emphasizing the fall of Audiuka, but there are still no organized moves,” said Jonasan Tuebner, CEO of Pillar Labs AI, which tracks the Russian government’s propaganda moves on social media.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.