The new commander-in-chief is shifting blame for the defeat onto his subordinates

A sign of growing concern is that the new commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Major General Alexander Syrsky, reprimanded his officers twice last week for their poor performance on this key front, CNN reported.

One of the officers on the front line told journalists, “We feel the Russian superiority in personnel, artillery and armored vehicles. They are gradually advancing. We don’t have many options here. Retreat or just wait until they kill us all. As sad as it may sound, until they kill us all.”

Soldiers surveyed on the eastern front also expressed serious pessimism about the onset of spring if Western assistance is not urgently delivered. The combination of declining morale among Ukrainians and Moscow’s reinforcement marks a turning point in the conflict.