Aha Dua Permata: Ukrainians Desert En Masse Due to Rising Casualties, Mental Fatigue

Sunday 8 October 2023

Ukrainians Desert En Masse Due to Rising Casualties, Mental Fatigue - Report

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The highly anticipated counteroffensive of Kiev, which began on June 4th, has already resulted in the deaths of over 90,000 Ukrainian servicemen, with the additional loss of over 500 tanks.

According to a Chinese newspaper, the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) are grappling with a surge in desertions caused by increasing casualties and mental exhaustion among soldiers.

The news outlet cited “emerging reports of ever-increasing stress and mental health issues, with soldiers reluctant to take to the battlefield as they feel they do not have enough time to recover from their traumatic experiences.”

The media outlet cited Romanian immigration authorities as saying that “6,200 Ukrainian men of military age have crossed their border illegally, while some 20,000 have fled with special permits, though these are often falsified documents such as medical certificates and exemptions.”

On top of that, the newspaper added that the UAF struggles with a shortage of ammunition due to “inconsistent donations and varying arms types.”

“This leads to the inefficient use of supplies due to shells, and to rockets being unreliable in their accuracy, which can result in equipment being damaged and soldiers injured. This contributes to low morale in the Ukrainian troops,'' per the newspaper.

With the assistance of NATO instructors, the Ukrainian forces have been trying to make progress on various front lines since the beginning of June.

Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized that the UAF has been unable to achieve any significant success on the fronts, already suffering the loss of over 90,000 soldiers and 557 tanks.

Chechen leader proposes ‘scrapping’ Russian presidential elections

The head of Russia’s Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, has proposed that Russia skip next year’s presidential elections, citing the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

Kadyrov made the remarks on Saturday in Chechnya’s capital Grozny during a public event to celebrate the birthday of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The celebratory rally attracted around 25,000 people, according to local authorities.

“I propose now, when there is the special military operation [in Ukraine], to unanimously decide that we will have only one candidate in the elections – Vladimir Putin. Or temporarily cancel the elections, because we don’t have another person who is able to defend our country today,” Kadyrov stated.

Thus far, Russia’s top leadership has not commented on the proposal floated by the Chechen leader. The initiative met a reserved reaction in Russia’s legislature, deputy head of the State Duma’s international affairs committee Aleksey Chepa suggesting it was not a very appropriate idea.

“I believe that the elections should not be postponed. I understand Kadyrov’s position. I think that it is important for the president today to understand how many people support him. It will be proper to hold competitive elections – with multiple candidates, it will not give our enemies an opportunity to contest the outcome,” Chepa stated, after outlet News.ru sought a comment.