Russian commanders are facing large-scale mutiny as at least one more regiment has again refused to fight and Moscow is losing more ground than it is gaining for the first time.
Spooks from Moscow’s feared GRU and FSB intelligence agencies are trying to quell a rebellion by soldiers of the 127th Regiment of the First Army Corps for a second time.
Some of the ringleaders of the dispute over pay and horrific conditions, such as water and food shortages, are known to have disappeared after being interrogated.
And Russian mercenaries from the notorious Wagner Group have been reduced to trying to recruit violent convicts for the frontline to fill gaps left by a mounting death toll.
Moscow’s 127th Regiment refused to fight a battle near the city of Kherson because they were left without water and pay ahead of a long-awaited Ukrainian offensive.
The same unit - involving hundreds of soldiers -refused to fight in July and were already being investigated by FSB spies for objecting to the war in Ukraine.
It comes as Ukraine’s intelligence analysts believe as many as 50,000 Russian troops have been killed and losses are mounting after a major push by Ukraine’s military.
Wagner Group commanders were already trawling some of Russia ’s most notorious prisons, offering clemency to murderers to sign up to fight in Ukraine for six months.
But now they have started searching and recruiting in Ukrainian prisons, looking for pro-Russian locals in Correctional Facility Number 124 in disputed Donetsk.
Frontline Russian troops have suffered water, food and ammunition shortages since Ukrainian started dismantling their supply chain all the way deep into Crimea.
Repeated air strikes and artillery blasts have destroyed dozens of ammo caches and warehouses full of food smashing Moscow’s ability to advance.
A western defence source told the Daily Mirror: “All indications are that for the first time in a long time Russian forces are losing more ground than they are gaining.
“The Ukrainians are naturally cautious to celebrate yet as they know this could be a long conflict but they are inflicting significant damage on the invasion, stopping it and pushing it back.
“Reports of large numbers of troops refusing to fight are extremely damaging and it appears commanders are losing their ability to give their troops the basics.”
Several villages and a town saw Ukraine’s troops raising their flag in the south and east , where the counter-offensive has raged for days.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was cautious in his announcement that he had received “good reports” about the counter-offensive against Russia.
UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said Ukraine’s troops are making “real gains” but the fighting is “close and hard.”
He told the Commons on Monday: “Ukraine has inflicted serious damage on a range of river crossings with the aim of restricting Russian logistical support”.
He went on: “As of today, the Ukrainian army are engaging with Russian forces using both artillery and ground-level operations.
“They are making real gains but understandably, as we have seen elsewhere in this conflict, the fighting is close and hard and Ukraine are suffering losses associated with an attacking force.”
Both sides have accused the other of risking catastrophe by shelling the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine as they awaited a UN report on the nuke alert.
The plant, operated by Ukrainian technicians, was captured by Russian forces in early March soon after they invaded Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned of a near “radiation catastrophe” at the plant.
On Tuesday Russian forces shelled Kharkiv, the country’s second city, destroying an apartment block in the centre.
The UN was expected to issue a report on their examination of the nuclear plant later today (Tues).
