DISINFO: Russian progress in Ukraine is slow because Russia is careful and precise in its strikes
SUMMARY
This operation is "special" because it is taking place in a sister country and in areas of the Donbass whose civilian populations are Russian-speaking and, in their vast majority, Russophiles.
It is therefore necessary to avoid as much as possible collateral damage on these friendly populations and on the civil infrastructures that will have to be rebuilt after the war.
Combat operations are therefore much more complex to conduct, which explains the “cautious” and therefore slow advance of the Russian forces, anxious to spare the blood of their Ukrainian brothers in the East and that of their soldiers.
RESPONSE
Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that the Ukrainian forces are responsible for war crimes, while the Russian army is progressing slowly because of its deep concerns about civilians.
In fact, the initail phase of Russia's war and invasion was unsuccesful due to Russian problems with logisitcs, supply lines, poor command and control and in no small amount: due to determined Ukrainian resistenace and counterattacks. Before moving into the second phase, Russian forces lost the battle for Kyiv and had to withdraw after having sustained heavy losses in personel and equipment. See here.
War crimes committed by Russian army are currently being documented and established with irrefutable details. They cannot be explained by alleged provocations of the Ukrainian side. Ukraine organized as much as possible evacuation of the civilians in the Donbas region while Russia tried to prevent it with the bombing of the railway station of Kramatorsk. Moreover, on several occasions Russian forces bombed humanitarian corridors making the evacuation of civilians difficult.
Human rights organizations and the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine documented how the invasion of Ukraine was carried out through indiscriminate attacks and strikes on civilian targets such as houses, hospitals, schools and kindergartens.
On 2 June 2022 the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights recorded 9,197 civilian casualties in the country: 4,183 killed and 5,014 injured. Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes.
Read also related cases: The Russian military does not strike civilian infrastructure.