This article by the FT (archive) about the Pokrovsk situation is nothing but bad news for the Ukrainian war effort and barely any attempt is made to suggest this could be turned around. Some excerpts:
Oleksandr Kovalenko, a military analyst at the Kyiv-based Information Resistance group, called the situation on the eastern edge of Pokrovsk “a complete defensive failure”.
“The trenches in front of Novohrodivka were empty. There was practically no Ukrainian army in the once 20,000-strong city,” she [MP Mariana Bezuhla] wrote in a scathing post.
In fact, Russian forces have advanced more rapidly in Donetsk since August 6 compared with the previous months, according to several military analysts, including Deep State, a Ukrainian group with close ties to Ukraine’s defence ministry that monitors frontline movements.
“There is complete chaos,” said Deep State’s Roman Pohorilyi pointing to the fall of key towns such as Novohrodivka and the looming threat to Pokrovsk.
“Ukraine committed reserves to Kursk, leaving fewer options to plug gaps elsewhere. Some of the more experienced brigades have been replaced by newer, less experienced units,” Lee said.
Soldiers who were mobilised this summer following the Ukrainian government’s new conscription laws meant to fill Kyiv’s dwindling ranks have been sent into the fray with little training or experience.
“They freeze . . . they don’t know what to do in real combat,” said a lieutenant whose troops are on the frontline near Pokrovsk. Many “turn and run at the first explosion”.
Soldiers in artillery units near Pokrovsk also highlighted a deficit in shells and a severe mismatch in firepower compared to Russian forces.
“Our shells are running out. We just don’t have enough,” said an artillery commander, noting that many resources had been redirected north to Kursk. For about the past month, his unit has had one shell for every six to eight fired by the Russians.
Russian forces, meanwhile, maintain a significant tactical advantage, bolstered by superior aviation and drone capabilities as well as in artillery, the CDS think-tank said.
So their command lost control, there are not enough people to man the trenches, the press-ganged slaves are less than helpful, Russia has more ammo, drones, air power, everything; and they made this worse by diverting all the good stuff to Kursk.
There were elections in Thuringia and in Saxony. The CDU probably has to form coalitions including the BSW (Wagenknecht), who wants concessions regarding military aid for Ukraine.
So the atlanticists at Die Zeit are worried (archive) this will break the transatlantic consensus inside the CDU/CSU and torpedo future coalitions with the Greens (CDU/Greens would be the dream team of US bootlickers).
I'll believe it when I see it. These people have such a grip on all the things, they'll figure something out. Probably Wagenknecht will cave.
Anyway, I have some great quotes:
Yeah no shit.
Driven by value alright, shareholder value. Also I love the "at least" in there, I guess even the author felt too embarrassed saying this with a straight face. They took briefcases full of cash from arms dealers lol.