CaliToday (06/11/2025): Fierce, attritional fighting continues to define the war in Ukraine, with Russian forces reportedly intensifying a major offensive near the city of Myrnohrad in the Donetsk region. In response, Ukrainian military sources report that their forces are conducting determined counter-attacks to defend the critical nearby city of Pokrovsk.
This escalation on the battlefield coincides with renewed, grim accusations from Kyiv that Russia is fueling its "meat grinder" (cối xoay thịt) tactics by forcing vulnerable and even intellectually disabled citizens into front-line service.
The Battle for the Pokrovsk Axis
The area encompassing Pokrovsk and the surrounding towns, including Myrnohrad, has become the epicenter of one of the bloodiest ground campaigns of the war.
Pokrovsk: The Strategic Prize: Pokrovsk is a vital logistics and command hub for the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Donbas. Its loss would severely compromise Ukraine's defensive line in the entire Donetsk region.
Russia's Myrnohrad Push: The intensified assault on Myrnohrad is seen by military analysts as a direct attempt to envelop or pressure Pokrovsk. Russian forces are reportedly using overwhelming artillery, aerial bombardment, and massive infantry wave assaults in an attempt to break Ukrainian defenses.
Ukraine's Counter-Attack: Recognizing the critical threat, Ukraine has committed significant resources to defending the axis. The declaration of a counter-attack at Pokrovsk suggests Ukrainian commanders are actively trying to disrupt the Russian offensive, rather than just holding a static line, leading to the "fierce fighting" (giao tranh ác liệt) described in field reports.
Accusations of "Human Chattel" Tactics
Connecting directly to the brutal nature of the fighting at Myrnohrad, Ukrainian officials and military intelligence reports allege that Russia’s "meat grinder" strategy has taken a horrifying new dimension.
According to these reports, the high-casualty wave assaults are not only being conducted by convicts but are increasingly being filled by vulnerable citizens, including those with severe intellectual disabilities, who have been forcibly conscripted.
Ukrainian sources claim this is part of a deliberate state strategy to maintain a relentless flow of manpower to the front, regardless of the human cost or the soldiers' fitness for service. This tactic relies on overwhelming Ukrainian positions with sheer numbers, using these ill-equipped units to absorb casualties and reveal Ukrainian firing positions, which are then targeted by more experienced troops.
The reports allege that this practice is how Russia is able to sustain such a high-attrition offensive toward Pokrovsk, viewing its own infantry not as soldiers but as expendable "human chattel" to achieve a territorial objective.