Russian Elite Paratroopers Defy Orders in Ukraine Conflict

Ukrainian official Nataliya Humenyuk reported that elite Russian marines and paratroopers are refusing to carry out "human wave attacks" due to concerns over the high losses suffered by other troops. The soldiers, considering themselves elite, are reluctant to engage in the costly frontal assaults typically carried out by former prisoners and poorly-trained reservists. The Russian invasion has increasingly relied on high-risk frontal assaults, resulting in significant casualties. The conflict in the Kherson region has been challenging for both sides, with difficult terrain and Ukrainian drone attacks impacting the situation on the ground.