• There is a serious humanitarian situation in Ukraine.
• The Russian invasion has barely had an impact on the Russian populace at large.
• It might be changing in light of the latest Ukrainian counteroffensive.

Although there is a serious humanitarian situation in Ukraine, the Russian invasion has barely had an impact on the Russian populace at large until very recently.

But that might be changing in light of the latest Ukrainian counteroffensive and the consequent Russian mobilization statement. According to reports, hundreds of thousands of men have left the nation out of fear of being drafted. President Vladimir Putin’s claim that “everything is proceeding according to plan” from earlier this year may be proving more difficult for some people to accept.

Another recent defeat for Russian forces was the fall of Lyman, an important railroad and logistics hub in the Donetsk region close to Luhansk. Both of these territories, albeit not totally under Russian or rebel control, have been claimed by Russia following hurried referendums.

Alexander Kots, a war correspondent for the Komsomolskaya Pravda (KP) newspaper, writes about how Ukrainian forces crossed the Oskil River and engaged in heavy combat there for several weeks without much result before focusing their efforts on Lyman. According to him, Ukrainian forces, including foreign combatants, outnumbered the garrison.

The Russian command opted to leave because “the fear of encirclement and ignominious imprisonment became too severe,” he wrote.

However, Kots also aimed to praise the pro-Russian fighters’ valor and commitment to their mission.

A militiaman from the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic informed him, “If necessary, we would have stayed there to die,” while an artillery gunner voiced optimism that mobilization would tip the balance in their favor.

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