The cause of Russia’s military debacle in Ukraine however lies in its callousness towards human life, Ukrainian and Russian. Throughout the war in Donbas, the families of Russian soldiers killed in action were told their relatives had died in training accidents. In Syria, Russia orchestrated the targeting of civilian infrastructure to break the will of the resistance, while waging a relentless propaganda campaign against civilian medical organisations trying to save lives.
For the Ukrainian people, watching what Russia has done to Syria and Donbas, the will to resist is strong. Putin has framed the war as the correction of a historical mistake that brought about Ukraine’s existence. The struggle is viewed by Ukrainians as existential. Russia’s attempts to divide Ukrainian society therefore have failed utterly.
Russia’s ruthless treatment of its own soldiers, while concealable at a small scale, has now brought about operational repercussions. Having not told its troops that they were about to go to war, its army has been left unprepared, logistically and psychologically. Morale is low, limiting the combat power of Russian forces. With too little time to plan, Russian logistics and communications are in disarray, slowing its pace of advance. This gives the Ukrainians crucial time to prepare their defences and organise a protracted resistance.