Many Russian units also have low morale, a depressed mood that contrasts sharply with Ukraine’s well-motivated forces. With the war in its eighth month, the Russian military suffers from an acute shortage of personnel, lack of coordination between units and unstable supply lines. MILITARY SHORTAGES AND COMMAND WOES Military reporters and bloggers embedded with Russian troops in Ukraine have painted a bleak picture of an ill-equipped and poorly organized force under incompetent command. O'Brien, professor of strategic studies at the University of St Andrews, predicted more Russian failures in Kherson, noting that it's “hard to stabilize a line when your logistics are stretched, your troops are exhausted and your opponent is much, much smarter.” Pressed against the wide river and suffering severe supply shortages, Russian troops face a looming defeat that could set the stage for a potential Ukrainian push to reclaim control of the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014. The Ukrainian gains in the Kherson region followed relentless strikes on the two main crossings over the Dnieper that made them unusable and forced Russian troops on the western bank of the Dnieper to rely exclusively on pontoon crossings, which also have been repeatedly hit by the Ukrainians. The Ukrainian army has also unleashed a broad counteroffensive in the south, capturing a string of villages on the western bank of the Dnieper River and advancing toward the city of Kherson. STRING OF DEFEATS IN THE NORTHEAST, SOUTH Relying on Western-supplied weapons, Ukraine has followed up on last month's gains in the northeastern Kharkiv region by pressing deeper into occupied areas and forcing Russian troops to withdraw from the city of Lyman, a key logistical hub. Here is a look at the latest Russian losses, some of the reasons behind them and the potential consequences. They have also fueled fighting among Kremlin insiders and left Russian President Vladimir Putin increasingly cornered. The setbacks have badly dented the image of a powerful Russian military and added to the tensions surrounding an ill-planned mobilization. Even as the Kremlin moved to absorb parts of Ukraine in a sharp escalation of the conflict, the Russian military suffered new defeats that highlighted its deep problems on the battlefield and opened rifts at the top of the Russian government.

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