As the fighting rages in the Donbas region, is Russia taking heavy losses? Media reporting would tend to indicate that it is, what is supporting my views is Russian forces are not making any gains either. Ukraine is at least holding ground and possibly making some inroads into regaining some of their lost territory – they are fighting back effectively. 

Whilst it would seem imperative Ukraine is taking back ground, locking down Russian forces and denying further advances is pretty good at this point. Yes, we would all like to see the Russian invades chased out of the country, locking Russian forces into a defensive strategy. Given their logistics problems, if Ukraine can disrupt their supply lines they can not get fuel, food and ammunition then they can be cleaned up.

Whilst Ukraine has ceded control of Maripol to Russian forces, this dogged resistance has locked down Russian assets that could not be deployed to the Donna’s region. Now that Maripol has been taken, a smaller occupying force will be left in place with forces moved to shoring up Donbas defensive areas. There is discussions that Russian moral is low, they are exhausted and they are running low on equipment and munitions. 

It appears Russia is not engaging in offensive tactics after the bungled Donbas River crossing. I am reading that Russian troops are disobeying orders as they are aware their commanders are just treating them as expendable canon fodder. Mothers and wives are asking questions in Russia, they want to know where their sons and husbands are, they are protesting out in the open.