Kiev's Forces Acknowledge Low Morale, Says WaPo
According to a report by the Washington Post, Ukrainian soldiers have lost faith in the possibility of achieving victory against Russia. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Ukrainian soldiers have reportedly lost faith in achieving victory over Russia, according to the Washington Post, which has highlighted the exhaustion and diminishing morale among troops after three years of combat.
Sources from within Ukraine's military have indicated that frontline troops, who once expressed determination to reclaim all territory lost to Russia, are now increasingly inclined toward negotiating an end to the conflict. An article published on Thursday reflected this shift in sentiment.
Kirill, a deputy battalion commander with Ukraine’s 33rd Mechanized Brigade stationed in Dnepropetrovsk Region, stated, “We used to talk about victory before, now it is unclear.” He also noted the prevailing mood among his comrades: “There is no good mood... The morale keeps sinking lower and lower, getting worse and worse.”
Another soldier from the same brigade, Felix, voiced concerns about the ongoing situation: “It cannot go on like this... We are withdrawing. And they [the Russians] are pushing further and further. What kind of victory will happen?” He characterized the troops as “simply exhausted” and expressed a desire for the fighting to end, suggesting that if Ukrainian officials cannot achieve this, perhaps “Mr. Trump can.”
US President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to pursue a quick diplomatic resolution to the conflict once he assumes office. However, some soldiers are apprehensive that the new US administration may scale back military support to encourage Ukraine to make territorial concessions to Russia in future peace negotiations. “I am worried we will just be abandoned,” said Aleksandr, another soldier in the 33rd Mechanized Brigade. He expressed concerns about the potential disruption of support and ammunition supplies from allies.
The report also highlighted issues of manpower shortages, contributing to the “grim” atmosphere among Ukrainian forces. “Do we even have infantry? It is down to a couple of guys, and they are over 50 years old. What are they going to do?” asked Denis, a drone operator.
Earlier in the week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov conveyed Moscow's willingness to engage in discussions with Trump’s team regarding the Ukraine conflict, emphasizing the necessity for “meaningful” talks that consider the root causes of the conflict and the principles articulated by President Vladimir Putin earlier this year.
In June, Putin stipulated that negotiations would require Ukraine to agree not to join NATO and to withdraw troops from territories that became part of Russia following referendums in the fall of 2022, including the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics as well as the regions of Kherson and Zaporozhye.
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
Sources from within Ukraine's military have indicated that frontline troops, who once expressed determination to reclaim all territory lost to Russia, are now increasingly inclined toward negotiating an end to the conflict. An article published on Thursday reflected this shift in sentiment.
Kirill, a deputy battalion commander with Ukraine’s 33rd Mechanized Brigade stationed in Dnepropetrovsk Region, stated, “We used to talk about victory before, now it is unclear.” He also noted the prevailing mood among his comrades: “There is no good mood... The morale keeps sinking lower and lower, getting worse and worse.”
Another soldier from the same brigade, Felix, voiced concerns about the ongoing situation: “It cannot go on like this... We are withdrawing. And they [the Russians] are pushing further and further. What kind of victory will happen?” He characterized the troops as “simply exhausted” and expressed a desire for the fighting to end, suggesting that if Ukrainian officials cannot achieve this, perhaps “Mr. Trump can.”
US President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to pursue a quick diplomatic resolution to the conflict once he assumes office. However, some soldiers are apprehensive that the new US administration may scale back military support to encourage Ukraine to make territorial concessions to Russia in future peace negotiations. “I am worried we will just be abandoned,” said Aleksandr, another soldier in the 33rd Mechanized Brigade. He expressed concerns about the potential disruption of support and ammunition supplies from allies.
The report also highlighted issues of manpower shortages, contributing to the “grim” atmosphere among Ukrainian forces. “Do we even have infantry? It is down to a couple of guys, and they are over 50 years old. What are they going to do?” asked Denis, a drone operator.
Earlier in the week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov conveyed Moscow's willingness to engage in discussions with Trump’s team regarding the Ukraine conflict, emphasizing the necessity for “meaningful” talks that consider the root causes of the conflict and the principles articulated by President Vladimir Putin earlier this year.
In June, Putin stipulated that negotiations would require Ukraine to agree not to join NATO and to withdraw troops from territories that became part of Russia following referendums in the fall of 2022, including the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics as well as the regions of Kherson and Zaporozhye.
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
