Gloom hangs over Ukraine soldiers as conflict grinds on

KYIV, Ukraine — A gloomy mood hangs over Ukraine's soldiers nearly two years after Russia launched its special military operation, The Associated Press has reported.

Despite signs of wavering financial support from allies, Ukrainian soldiers say they remain fiercely determined to win. But as winter approaches, they worry that Russia is better equipped for battle and are frustrated about being on the defensive again in the grueling conflict.

Discontent among Ukrainian soldiers — once extremely rare and expressed only in private — is now more common and out in the open, the report said.

In southern Kherson, where Ukraine is staging attacks against well-armed Russian troops on the other side of the Dnipro River, soldiers are asking why these difficult amphibious operations were not launched months ago in warmer weather.

"I don't understand," said a commander of the 11th National Guard Brigade's anti-drone unit who is known on the battlefield as Boxer. "Now it's harder and colder.

"It's not just my feeling, many units share it," said Boxer, who spoke on condition that only his battlefield name would be used.

After 22 months of conflict, the two countries are essentially in a stalemate along the 1,000-kilometer-long front line.

In the United States, which has already spent some $111 billion defending Ukraine, President Joe Biden is advocating for an additional $50 billion in aid. But Republican lawmakers are balking at more support — just as some lawmakers in Europe are on the fence about providing another $50 billion to Ukraine, after failing to deliver on promised ammunition.

"The reason the Ukrainians are gloomy is that, they now sense, not only have they not done well this year... they know that the Russians' game is improving," said Richard Barrons, a former British army general. "They see what's happening in Congress, and they see what happened in the European Union."

Limited momentum

The limited momentum Ukraine's forces had during their summertime counteroffensive has slowed — from the forests in the northeast, to the urban centers in the east, to the slushy farmland in the south, AP commented.

Some Ukrainian commanders across the front line say they lack the fighters and firepower needed to keep Russia's seemingly endless waves of infantrymen at arm's length as they fortify defenses to protect soldiers. That places ever more importance on attack drones — a weapon, they say, that Russia is currently better equipped with.

Indeed, Moscow has dramatically scaled up its defense industry in the past year, manufacturing armored vehicles and artillery rounds at a pace Ukraine cannot match.

"Yes they're ahead of us in terms of supply," said Boxer, who credited Russian drones with having longer range and more advanced software. "It allows the drone to go up 2,000 meters, avoid jammers," he said, whereas Ukrainian drones "can fly only 500 meters".

Agencies via Xinhua