A “sense of exhaustion and disappointment” is spreading within the Ukrainian army due to the lack of prospects for an end to the war – Financial Times

A “sense of exhaustion and disillusionment” is spreading among Ukrainian troops due to the lack of a clear path to end the war.

This was reported by the Financial Times, citing sources.

“Among both seasoned officers and newly mobilized soldiers, morale is weakening because of a growing feeling that there is no clear plan to end the war, and that lives are being sacrificed in vain,” the publication writes.

A deputy commander of an assault unit near Pokrovsk, who has been fighting since 2014, said that while they are still holding the line, “we are exhausted.”

“Trump’s pre-election promise to end the war in 24 hours initially gave him a glimmer of hope. But recent events have forced him and his troops to ignore this news, as it only makes them angry,” FT adds.
Soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) reportedly call themselves “zombies” because of the fatigue.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian politicians are saying that the country must brace itself for a prolonged conflict.

“How long will it last? Until we break the Russians’ belief that we can be defeated,” said MP Yehor Firsov.

At the same time, ahead of a possible summer offensive by Russia, Ukraine is still facing manpower issues.

“The mobilization campaign remains riddled with corruption and forced conscription, including recruitment officers grabbing unregistered men off the streets and shoving them into vans. Efforts to attract young men aged 18-24 have largely failed — according to people briefed on the program, there have only been a few hundred candidates,” the article states.

It’s also noted that military analysts and AFU personnel are reporting serious fighting on the Sumy region border.