Filthy troops fight in freezing mud – the WWI-like horror of Bakhmut’s trenches

Jack Watling, senior research fellow for land warfare at London’s Royal United Services Institute, said: “If you look at Ukrainian fighting positions they tend to be well kept. “People tend to have warm clothing and defensive lines often have areas that are kept clean, dry, and warm. Company commanders build these close to fighting positions. “Russian junior leadership has been heavily attrited. The newly mobilised personnel do not have the experience or skills to operate for extended periods in the field. They have not been issued with winter clothing for the most part. Their fighting positions are often a mess.”