Fully agree. The Russians took Bakhmut ages ago with very little loss of Russian regular soldiers (prisoners and mercenaries) but huge Ukrainian losses. The writer should focus on what is going on in Kiev today – the end of Zelenskys tenure?
AL
Alex Lekas
4 months ago
Given what we know now, was this piece true when it was originally published?
The main purpose of this article is just to give some perspective from the troops on the ground. I’d say they were actually pretty accurate since the battle was essentially won by May. Coyote gives me his final assessment. “I think the battle will continue for about one or two months unless there is a major encirclement or something unexpected happens — it will go street by street; the artillery will slowly destroy all the tall buildings and it will [descend to] urban warfare. It will crawl to an end.”
JV
Jim Veenbaas
4 months ago
When I read stories like this I feel blessed and grateful for my privileged life – simply by being born in Canada. There is no calamity I could suffer that compares to the misery on the front line.
SI
Samir Iker
4 months ago
What is noticeable is not the inaccuracies, it’s the staggering lack of compassion and empathy for ordinary Ukrainians amongst those in the West who are most vociferous in their supposed “support” for Ukraine.
What, exactly, would have been the cost of a peace deal with Russia that would have addressed their very valid concerns on NATO expansion, Crimea (which is more Russian than the Falklands are British) and the atrocities commited on Donbass Russians? And how exactly would it have been worse than the country destroyed, the East lost anyway and hundreds of thousands of young Ukrainians dead?
Absolutely, positively right Samir – answers to those questions should be front and centre in every one of the revisionist takes we’re subjected to now. I’d love to hear Patrikarakos’s thoughts, but I’m sure he’s too busy off Correspondenting to bother coming back with anything, let alone deigning to drop below the line to answer them here.
Ukrainians are fighting and dying not because of Western support, which is enough to fight the war but not to win it.
They are fighting and dying for their country, because of the memory of Holodomor, and because they were invaded. They do not want your phony compassion, they want weaponry.
LB
Laurian Boer
4 months ago
Why would this article be selected to be one of the “Best Of” it’s a mistery to me. The only possible criteria to qualify it as a “hit” could be the high number of voters from the anti anti-soviet, oops sorry anti-russian crowd, that it got back in February.
First of all, however, it didn’t age well. The current map of the region proves it.Secondly the article was just another biased documentation of what will probably go in history as a totally avoidable war (like many of them are) where tens of thousands of Slavs met their death without glory.
Even biased first-hand accounts are interesting reads and quality journalism. I’d rather this than one of the millions of articles from people sitting comfortably in America giving their take on the situation.
CV
Chris Van Schoor
4 months ago
I don’t believe a word of this.
PM
Paul MacDonnell
4 months ago
Is it possible that Vladimir Putin is using the Ukrainians as an instrument to exterminate his prison population and thus save himself cost and future trouble?
why the downvote – seems obvious to me that that is exactly what he is intending – killing two birds with one stone – as it were ! dO THE DOWNVOTERS HERE believe that Putin cares at all about casualties ??
OM
O. M.
4 months ago
Nicely done – meaning, the decision-making that’s doing this to people. They are driven to the point where other humans are just something to exterminate. I can’t see how it can be anything than one of the two things – that killing others either completely mangles your soul(psyche) or you had little soul to mangle. I guess this piece tried to stick to descriptions but the two soldiers described here (not Yevgeny) have no soul left. It’s not just human bodies that are getting destroyed. Humanity is obliterated, as something that fighters on both sides cannot afford to hold on to. As for Nata – her views must help her in her life a fair bit – can’t see her engaging in much wrenching soul-searching. Sorry that I couldn’t keep Captain Obvious from making an appearance.
JW
James Wyburd
4 months ago
Some comments are disgraceful – I’m beginning to regret subscribing to Unherd
Why are we being regaled with this piece? It has not aged well.
It’s aging like milk
And where is Martin Logan, Martin, say hello, give us a wave
Fully agree. The Russians took Bakhmut ages ago with very little loss of Russian regular soldiers (prisoners and mercenaries) but huge Ukrainian losses. The writer should focus on what is going on in Kiev today – the end of Zelenskys tenure?
Given what we know now, was this piece true when it was originally published?
It’s neocon propaganda. Designed to make you support the war for as long as possible
The main purpose of this article is just to give some perspective from the troops on the ground. I’d say they were actually pretty accurate since the battle was essentially won by May.
Coyote gives me his final assessment. “I think the battle will continue for about one or two months unless there is a major encirclement or something unexpected happens — it will go street by street; the artillery will slowly destroy all the tall buildings and it will [descend to] urban warfare. It will crawl to an end.”
When I read stories like this I feel blessed and grateful for my privileged life – simply by being born in Canada. There is no calamity I could suffer that compares to the misery on the front line.
What is noticeable is not the inaccuracies, it’s the staggering lack of compassion and empathy for ordinary Ukrainians amongst those in the West who are most vociferous in their supposed “support” for Ukraine.
What, exactly, would have been the cost of a peace deal with Russia that would have addressed their very valid concerns on NATO expansion, Crimea (which is more Russian than the Falklands are British) and the atrocities commited on Donbass Russians? And how exactly would it have been worse than the country destroyed, the East lost anyway and hundreds of thousands of young Ukrainians dead?
Absolutely, positively right Samir – answers to those questions should be front and centre in every one of the revisionist takes we’re subjected to now. I’d love to hear Patrikarakos’s thoughts, but I’m sure he’s too busy off Correspondenting to bother coming back with anything, let alone deigning to drop below the line to answer them here.
Ukrainians are fighting and dying not because of Western support, which is enough to fight the war but not to win it.
They are fighting and dying for their country, because of the memory of Holodomor, and because they were invaded. They do not want your phony compassion, they want weaponry.
Why would this article be selected to be one of the “Best Of” it’s a mistery to me. The only possible criteria to qualify it as a “hit” could be the high number of voters from the anti anti-soviet, oops sorry anti-russian crowd, that it got back in February.
First of all, however, it didn’t age well. The current map of the region proves it.Secondly the article was just another biased documentation of what will probably go in history as a totally avoidable war (like many of them are) where tens of thousands of Slavs met their death without glory.
Even biased first-hand accounts are interesting reads and quality journalism. I’d rather this than one of the millions of articles from people sitting comfortably in America giving their take on the situation.
I don’t believe a word of this.
Is it possible that Vladimir Putin is using the Ukrainians as an instrument to exterminate his prison population and thus save himself cost and future trouble?
why the downvote – seems obvious to me that that is exactly what he is intending – killing two birds with one stone – as it were ! dO THE DOWNVOTERS HERE believe that Putin cares at all about casualties ??
Nicely done – meaning, the decision-making that’s doing this to people. They are driven to the point where other humans are just something to exterminate. I can’t see how it can be anything than one of the two things – that killing others either completely mangles your soul(psyche) or you had little soul to mangle. I guess this piece tried to stick to descriptions but the two soldiers described here (not Yevgeny) have no soul left. It’s not just human bodies that are getting destroyed. Humanity is obliterated, as something that fighters on both sides cannot afford to hold on to. As for Nata – her views must help her in her life a fair bit – can’t see her engaging in much wrenching soul-searching. Sorry that I couldn’t keep Captain Obvious from making an appearance.
Some comments are disgraceful – I’m beginning to regret subscribing to Unherd
Such as?