Russian troops have denounced an “incomprehensible battle” in Donetsk after apparently suffering heavy casualties during a week of intense fighting in Ukraine’s central-eastern region.
Moscow has been trying to break through Kiev’s defenses around the city of Pavlivka for at least seven days, but appears to have made little progress, with 300 men killed in action, according to an open letter published to a prominent Russian. military blog on Monday.
Men of the Russian Pacific Fleet’s 155th Marine Brigade have unleashed fierce criticism of a senior Russian official in a rare show of defiance, accusing authorities of “hiding” the death toll “for fear of accountability”.
The letter, reportedly sent from the front lines to a regional Russian governor, came amid Moscow’s volatile offensive on a region President Vladimir Putin claimed it illegally annexed just over a month ago.
“Once again we have been thrown into an incomprehensible battle by General Muradov and his brother-in-law, his compatriot Akhmedov, so that Muradov can earn bonuses to make him look good in the eyes of Gerasimov (chief of the General Staff of Russia). “, the men said in the memorandum, which was sent to the governor of Primorsky Krai.
“As a result of the ‘carefully’ planned attack by the ‘great commanders’ we have lost about 300 men, dead and wounded, with some MIA in the last four days.
“We lost 50% of our equipment. This is just our brigade. The regional administration together with Akhmedov hide these facts and distort the official statistics of victims for fear of being held accountable.”
They pleaded with Governor Oleg Kozemiako: “How long will such mediocrities like Muradov and Akhmedov be allowed to continue planning military actions just to keep up pretenses and win prizes at the cost of so many lives?”
Russian military commentators have also criticized the army’s approach to Donetsk.
“The situation in Pavlivka has been discussed at the highest level for several days and blood continues to be shed,” Aleksandr Sladkov, a Russian military journalist working for All-Russian State Television and Radio, told Telegram.
“The troops say there is a dilemma now: exhausted units cannot be withdrawn without bringing in new units. There are no new units and no possibility of withdrawal and replacement due to the constant firing,” Russian military journalist Alexey Sukonkin also posted on Telegram. .
“Why did we retreat from Pavlivka and have to retake it now?” Aleksander Khodakovsky, a Russian-backed commander from the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, said criticizing Moscow’s tactical approach to the region.
Khodakovsky said Russian troops were using underground as defensive positions, which meant they had seen no lateral movement by the Ukrainians.
“That’s why several marines, including company commanders, were captured then. Not because they were weak in spirit, but because they were held hostage by the organization of their defense,” Khodakovsky said, adding that Ukrainian reconnaissance troops had used high-rise buildings in nearby Vuhledar and cameras placed on top of mine shafts to guide artillery. strikes.
“The defenders of Pavlivka will be taken hostage again. Supplies and exchanges will be difficult, it will be impossible to move through Pavlivka,” he said.
CNN cannot verify how many soldiers signed the letter or their ranks, but Gov. Kozemiako confirmed he had received a letter from the unit.
“We contacted our Marine commanders on the front lines. These are guys who have been in combat since the beginning of the operation,” the governor said on Telegram.
Kozemiako added that the battle commander had emphasized that the deaths of the troops (Primorski) were greatly exaggerated.
“I also know firsthand that our fighters showed true heroism and unprecedented courage in Pavlivka, as well as in the entire special military operation. We inflicted serious damage on the enemy.”
Kozemiako said the complaint made by the soldiers had been sent to the military prosecutor’s office.
Russia’s defense ministry issued a rare public response to criticism of the military operation in Donetsk, denying that its forces suffered “high, unnecessary losses in people and equipment”.
Russia’s losses in the Vuhledar and Pavlivka region of the Donetsk region “do not exceed 1% of the combat force and 7% of the wounded, a significant part of which has already returned to service,” the ministry claimed on Monday, according to Russian state media. TASS agency reported.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the fierce battle for Donetsk “remains the focus of the occupiers’ greatest madness” and denied Kozemiako’s claims that Moscow’s losses “were not that great”.
“Hundreds are dying every day,” Zelensky added. “The ground in front of the Ukrainian positions is literally littered with the bodies of the occupiers.”
Noting that the governor was about 9,000 kilometers (about 5,500 miles) from the front lines, Zelensky said: “The governor can probably see better from there how many soldiers and in what way are being sent to slaughter from his area. Or they just ordered him to lie.”
Social media and drone footage in recent days have shown scores of Russian tanks and other armored vehicles being hit around Pavlivka, which is about 50 kilometers southwest of Donetsk and has been on the front lines for several months.
The Ukrainian military released footage showing two Russian T-72B tanks and three BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles hit by Ukrainian artillery and anti-tank systems, with senior officials reporting heavy shelling attacks in the area were repulsed.
“The enemy is losing the opportunity to implement his plans,” Oleksii Hromov, deputy head of the Operations Directorate of the General Staff of Ukraine, said on Thursday.
