The Battle for Novorussiya

[Lauren Johnson]

Minsk meeting for 1/16: Novorussiya reps showed up the whereas the Ukrainian reps did not.

Another indication of very low morale of UAF forces written on on 1/14:

January 15, 2015
TVZvezda.ru
Translated from Russian by J. Hawk
"Counter-terror" fighters acknowledge they
are the "cannon fodder" of the Donetsk Airport.

The Ukrainian volunteers picketing the building of the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers complain they are treated as "cannon fodder" at the Donetsk airport, and that their supporting artillery is almost out of ammunition.

"Right now we have several wounded," told the journalists Vladislav Goranin, representing the OUN Battalion, part of which is located at the airport, while the rest in the adjacent town of Peski. We have no killed, but the 93rd Mechanized Brigade, unfortunately, does. The people in the government, judging by everything, do not understand the seriousness of what's happening. We need to end this senseless ceasefire. We are cannon fodder, tinned meat. Not soldiers, it would seem."

Goranin also claimed that the fighters are being supplied only by volunteers.

Another volunteer going by the call-sign of "Lemko" and citing troops located in Peski, said that during the engagements of January 13, the Ukrainian artillery fired in an unknown direction and only for half an hour.

"The ammunition supply situation is very poor," added Lemko. "It is almost entirely exhausted. If this continues, they will not hold on for long."

(Published January 14 , 2015)

Translator's Note:

This sounds like a confirmation of the doubts concerning Poroshenko's claims about Ukraine's ability to restore its forces to combat readiness. No doubt these very visible events in which Poroshenko turned over "new" or "restored" equipment to the Ukrainian military had as much to do with attempts to boost his troops' morale than with actually improving their combat effectiveness. Judging by this and other reports, the Novorossia militia had decided to call Poroshenko's bluff.
Such comments also are consistent with Semenchenko's claims that the troops' morale and patience are at their breaking points. This gives Poroshenko an incentive to attempt another offensive operation even though the Ukrainian military does not seem prepared to carry it out. Either way, the loyalty of the troops, especially of the volunteer units, cannot be taken for granted for much longer by the Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief.
P.S. On Thursday, January 15, DPR flag was raised above Donetsk Airport as NAF reported about its capture