How Putin has lost the faith of Russia’s soldiers as Ukrainain war becomes the world’s worst nightmare – Colonel Bob Stewart

In truth I thought it was possible that he might replace the so-called ‘‘little green men’’ (his proxies) with uniformed Russian soldiers in Donetsk and Luhansk. He has already done that in Crimea.

Ukraine: World must act now or risk paying an even higher price for Putin’s wars – Tom Tugendhat

After all, he could have argued that such an action had been justified by the Duma – which he completely dominates – although few outside Russia would accept that as any form of legitimate excuse.

But Putin has gone well beyond that with simultaneous assaults into Ukraine from the north-east, north-west, east and the south.

Ukrainian resistance to such overwhelming force has been nothing short of amazing.

As far as I can see from news reports, almost every non-Russian speaking Ukrainian seems hell-bent on resistance, and they have been putting up a very stiff fight.

The will to resist and high morale is clear.

In the Army we always considered that morale was what Napoleon considered the sacred flame – the battle-winning factor.

I really didn’t fully understand
what he meant until I went to Bosnia
in 1992-93 as British United Nations Battle Group Commander. Local 
Serb, Croat and Muslim 
commanders frequently asked me 
how many men I had under my command?

Obviously, I didn’t tell them, but I always asked how many soldiers they thought I had?

Every time I was asked the answer was between 3-4,000 soldiers. I had between 800-850 soldiers!

Their professionalism and style was excellent and they thus gave the impression that there were many more of them than was the case.

It seems to me that we are seeing exactly that in the way Ukrainian resistors are fighting and holding back the Russian Army.

Each Ukrainian soldier is fighting for his or her homeland and they will not give up. That is certainly not the case with Russian military personnel.

Reportedly many of them didn’t 
even know they were going to war, 
that they were being deployed into Ukraine or indeed what they were going to do there. When asked by reporters, they certainly don’t 
know.

I haven’t seen many reports of front-line fighting so far, but I have been able to see on the television Russian soldiers operating in Ukraine.

I always look at body language when assessing the effectiveness of soldiers. It seems to me that they have exhibited little confidence in the way they hold themselves.

I have noted just how silent, 
maybe even cowed, they were when Ukrainian civilians confront them demanding to know just why they are there.

They most certainly look 
confused and that cannot be good for Russian commanders who will be directing them.

On the other hand, Ukrainians – whether soldiers or civilians – are quite clear; they are in a tooth and claw fight perhaps to the death but certainly to save their country.

Sadly, I am certain that, in the end, Russian overwhelming force will crush Ukrainian resistance. That defeat could come quickly or indeed take longer but I cannot see any other longer-term outcome.

Maybe there will be a ceasefire before that. Pray God that happens and quickly, but I am afraid it seems unlikely unless Putin accepts that the disadvantages of continuing operations outweigh the advantages.

I suppose and hope that a ceasefire could happen if the sanctions Russia faces together with other measures such as universal condemnation starts to threaten Putin’s position as supreme leader of Russia.

Although the Russian media is well under the thumb of Putin, the same may not be the case with social media.

Hopefully in Russia the word can get out that Russian forces are being resisted fiercely in Ukraine and that fellow Slavs are being killed by tanks, shells, and rockets, not to mention small arms.

Perhaps too Russian social media can pick up the fact that thousands of Russian soldiers are being killed there – with bodies being burnt up in mobile crematoria so that body bags do not go back to home towns.

It is clear also that resistance to what Putin has done is widespread in Russia even if they are immediately arrested.

It seems that day-to-day living is getting more difficult in cities like Moscow because of international restrictions too.

That, together with the fact that so many of Putin’s oligarch supporters have had their wealth and assets frozen in the West where they prefer to live, rather than in restrictive Russia, may also have influence.

Maybe, just maybe, the Russian equivalent of Westminster’s ‘men 
in grey suits’ might decide that 
enough is enough and perhaps 
push Putin out.

After all his actions are hardly understandable and he has most certainly brought Russian international prestige to a new low.

Russians are a proud people, and they will hardly approve what is happening to brother Slavs when they realise the truth.

The Ukrainians are fighting for 
the soul of their country and, 
whereas Putin’s forces may win 
battles on the ground and military operations may end the actual 
fighting thereafter, Moscow’s problems could be even worse as it tries to rule 44 million Ukrainians who deeply resent what their fellow Slavs have done.

That may be even more difficult than fighting the war and could go on for years.

*Colonel Bob Stewart is a former British Army officer and United Nations commander in Bosnia. He is also a Tory MP.

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