Russian forces regroup but face ridicule with outdated tactics
The Russians have been conducting a full-scale invasion of Ukraine for nearly three years. Numerous videos showcasing Putin's soldiers' behaviour have appeared online. Recently, a video surfaced featuring conscripts from Yakutia riding horseback across a field. Ukrainians mockingly comment that this is how the "second army in the world" appears.
A video shared by former Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Anton Herashchenko, shows two soldiers boasting about possessing two Ukrainian horses. Although they believe the animals are obedient, they express dissatisfaction, thinking the horses are too slow.
The Ukrainian politician mocks the invaders, reminding everyone that the Russian army was termed the "second army of the world" right after the American one. The war in Ukraine has brutally challenged this claim, as Putin's troops were unable to achieve their intended goal of overthrowing the government in Kyiv and "neutralising and denazifying" Ukraine.
Moreover, he compares the eastern soldiers to the army from the time of the Russian Empire, before 1917, when the Romanov state used people from the most distant parts of the country, in this case, the Yakuts, to invade neighbours.
"These soldiers are from the Republic of Sakha, a region incredibly rich in natural resources. Yet, the indigenous people of Sakha are fighting a war in Ukraine on stolen horses, while Moscow fills its coffers with proceeds from their diamonds, gold, gas, and oil," writes Herashchenko.
The frontline situation in Ukraine
While the Ukrainian politician is certainly correct in pointing out the Russian army's backwardness, it should be noted that Putin's forces are learning lessons from their mistakes at the beginning of the war. Since autumn 2024, Russia has taken the initiative on the frontline, and though progressing very slowly, it is capturing more villages. It aims to control at least four regions that Putin declares should be part of Russia. These are Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.
In January this year, the German magazine Die Welt reported that, according to its findings, the Russians are giving themselves until 2026 to achieve this goal. This indicates that there is no chance of negotiating peace this year. Although the invaders are losing record numbers of conscripts, the Kremlin does not care about human losses.
