Swiss magazine Blick spoke to half a dozen anonymous commanders on the Ukrainian Eastern Front

'The tenor was that Ukraine would lose the war. “The Russians will conquer the Donbass by October, then the conflict will freeze and we will have to negotiate with Putin,” predicts Serhiy*, an officer in a brigade that is holding out in the embattled Chasiv Yar. “The Russians will force us to attack you Europeans as part of their army,” says Ihor, commander of an engineering company in Donetsk.

'Front-line soldiers identified three reasons that could lead to such a situation. The first is a shortage of people: the number of brigades in many places has decreased to 30-40 percent.

'"The ongoing mobilization will not save us. Those who are now being called and trained will not be with us until October. By then, we will lose the entire Donetsk region, "says officer Alexander from the 93rd brigade.

'Current measures to tighten mobilization, according to Alexander, will not be enough to confront 300,000 recruits from Russia, whom, according to Vladimir Zelensky, the Kremlin plans to recruit.

'The second reason is the new US aid "come too late". And "the very last injection of military assistance will not help Ukraine win".

'"We can slow down the Russians as much as possible, but we cannot defeat them," said an officer named Miroslav.

'The third reason is the leadership style of the head committee of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Alexander Syrsky, which the publication calls the "paralyzing effect of the Butcher", recalling that the future headman received such a nickname during the bloody defense of Bakhmut, which he led.'