(ZEROHEDGE) – It’s long been clear that Ukraine’s armed forces have undergone some significant recruitment problems amid generally low morale as throughout the summer the counteroffensive has stalled and appears failing. There’s also a grim emerging consensus that Ukraine is suffering staggering losses. Even just before the counteroffensive’s start, The Washington Post ran headlines such as Ukraine short of skilled troops and munitions as losses, pessimism grow.
Related this are all of the recent videos of young Ukrainian men being conscripted across the country which have widely circulated. Those who are fearful of being sent to the front are often actively engaging in evasive and, in some instances, illegal tactics to avoid such a fate. Some with money can pay off military recruitment officers, perhaps.
This week, even one of Kiev’s most ardent supporters and NATO backers – Poland, has said the counteroffensive is likely to fail. Polish President Andrzej Duda said in a fresh Washington Post interview, “Does Ukraine have enough weapons to change the balance of the war and get the upper hand?” And he answered his rhetorical with – “Probably, no.”
