​Morale in Ukrainian army at all-time low

​The following is our translation of a report on the demoralized US-backed Ukrainian troops tasked with “taking back” the Donbass, which is obviously irrevocably lost to the pro-Russians.
 
When Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, where he planned to take part in a mass persecution of Christians, Jesus, in spirit, asks Saul (later called Paul) why he is persecuting him, and says to him: It is hard for you to kick against the pricks. (Acts 9:5).
 
To kick against the pricks is a Greek proverb derived from the practice of using a goad with a sharp point to manipulate oxen. Sometimes the ox would rebel and kick back at the goad, thereby exacerbating the pain. (BTW, this use of a Greek proverb would indicate that the lingua franca in the Jewish world was possibly Greek and not Aramaic).
 
At any rate, this self –infliction of pain is exactly what Ukraine is doing. Anyone, even a US-backed Ukrainian leader knows full well that the Ukraine armed forces cannot defeat the Russians. Even the top US foreign policy expert CFR president Richard Haass knows that the US cannot defeat Russia, as we discussed here. In fact, every European NATO member, especially the top rank, must know that NATO is a sitting duck for Russian hypersonic missiles that cannot be intercepted by any known means. This, of course, explains why the Ukrainian army tasked with taking back the self-proclaimed republics of Lugansk and Donetsk in Donbass have rock-bottom morale, realizing that in the event of a real military challenge, they are doomed. There are also indications that the military leaders of other NATO countries realize the hopelessness of their situation.

Not only that, the US-controlled Ukrainian military and NATO expect that the Ukrainian army can be forced or cajoled into fighting their fellow Ukrainians on the basis of their language preference. Not much of an incentive to put oneself in harm’s way, particularly now that the Maidan coup has transformed Ukraine into the poorest country in Europe, as we reported here. Further, every Ukrainian with measurable brain activity knows that President Poroshenko is deliberately stirring up conflict between the US/NATO and his country in a desperate bid to hang on to the presidency in the upcoming election. But the half-hearted (pretend) US response to his ginned up accusation of “Russian aggression” is clear cut evidence that Washington isn’t buying the theatre performance either.
 
Clearly, the US and allies are in their final throes militarily. The US is no longer interested in fighting in Syria or Ukraine, knowing that Russia has them overpowered and outmaneuovered diplomatically, and are reduced to pretending. In response to the capture of Ukrainian naval ships by Russia in the Kerch Strait, the US sent in a 30 year old ship that was totally inadequate for battle into the Black Sea, supposedly to intimidate the Russians, but actually just to placate Pososhenko. The UK did likewise, sending a hydrographic survey ship, the HMS Echo, instead of a battle ship. These sophomoric bluffs are hard evidence that the entire West knows the jig is up. How long before it finally admits defeat and starts to negotiate with Russia for peace and cooperation – rather than continuing to kick against the pricks like a dumb ox?
 
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Lost morale: Poroshenko lost his motorized infantry brigade in the Donbass
 
January 14, 2019
 
The Ukrainian command has decided to withdraw the entire 59th brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the military zone. Previously, one of the units of this military unit had refused to enter combat positions.
 
As the correspondent of RIA Novy Den reports, the official representative of the People's Militia of the LNR [Lugansk People’s Republic], Lieutenant Colonel Andrei Marochko, reported this at a special briefing.
 
"The Ukrainian command plans to withdraw a number of units from the zone of the military operation, including the entire 59th separate motorized infantry brigade, one of whose companies had previously refused to withdraw to the positions along the line of military contact," PolitNavigator quotes Andrei Marochko.
 
According to Marochko, the withdrawal of the brigade from the zone of special operations is scheduled for January 20.
 
Recall that, previously, the company of the Ukrainian military personnel demanded urgent rotation and refused to conduct military operations against the army of the Lugansk People's Republic.
 
“According to our sources in the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the entire second company of the third battalion of the 59th motor-infantry brigade refused to go to the positions assigned to them. The commander of the company with the call sign "Ruslan" sent a report to the higher command, in which he declared the unwillingness of the personnel of the company to take part in hostilities, arguing that the servicemen were waiting for the rotation and want to return home alive,” Lieutenant Colonel of Police of the LPR Marochko reported.
 
Officials in Ukraine could not clearly comment on this bold insubordination of the fighters on the front line.
 
Simferopol, Valentin Karamazov
 
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