JRL NEWSWATCH: “Foreign soldiers flocked to Ukraine after Russia invaded. Five months on, the fighting is taking a heavy toll” – NBC
“Relentless Russian bombings were ‘the closest thing I’ve ever seen to hell,’ an American who served several tours of the Middle East said.”
“… Despite the challenges, fighters [interviewed] … remained adamant about their commitment to pushing out the Kremlin’s forces. [They] admitted … that supply shortages, delays in receiving [promised Western] weapons … and communication frustrations have challenged their spirits …. Despite recent hardships, they all … see promising signals that Ukraine is working to address its weaknesses. Increased … training has made … once disorganized bands of Ukrainian volunteers into effective soldiers … [C]ycling out units on the front more often has helped keep soldiers fresh. … [Some] are seeing greater collaboration …. [Battlefield] effectiveness … appears to be buoyed by … American-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, … HIMARS. … [A]rrival of high-powered military equipment promised by Western governments took months, but the recent [HIMARS] success … has expanded Ukraine’s missile range … allow[ing] them to strike well into Russian occupied territory. The Pentagon [just] committed to sending … more ….”