According to an eye-opening article in a Russian pro-government newspaper, Russian troops in eastern Ukraine retreated from the city of Lyman due to a lack of personnel, poor communications, and “mistakes” by senior authorities.
The commanders decided to retire because they ran the risk of being surrounded and facing an embarrassing captivity, the writer, who was embedded with Russian soldiers, wrote in Komsomolskaya Pravda.
Residents of Lyman told CNN’s Nick Paton Walsh that Russian troops started leaving the city late on Friday, just as Russian President Vladimir Putin was celebrating what he claimed to be the takeover of Lyman’s location in Ukraine’s Donetsk region.
The Russian soldiers had recounted “all the typical stuff,” according to the newspaper article’s author.
“There was poor communication between the various units. Nobody is aware of what is going on at the nearby positions. Our targets have already passed when you request artillery help through a complicated system of reports.
According to the article, the Russians’ retreat had a “typical” cause as well.
According to the tabloid report, “not enough soldiers, faults of the leadership when arranging the defence.”
“The so-called “500s” are contract soldiers who choose to flee battle and not engage in combat. The late arrival of the reserves, a lack of coordination among the ground forces, and outdated intelligence equipment all played a part.