Some Russian troops are refusing to follow orders in eastern Ukraine as invasion setbacks continue, US defense official says

• Russian troops are refusing to follow orders in eastern Ukraine, a senior US defense official said.
• Middle-ranked officers reportedly are disobeying orders in Donbas as attacks on the region stall.

Some Russian troops are refusing to follow orders as invasion setbacks continue in Russian President Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine, a US defense official said.

"US has seen indications that some Russian officers are refusing to obey orders or not following commands 'with alacrity' in Donbas," Foreign Policy reporter Jack Detsch tweeted, attributing the message to a senior US defense official who spoke during a background briefing.

Refusal to obey orders has forced more Russian generals into the field, Detsch reported, citing the official.

According to Washington Post the senior defense official said that the troops disobeying orders tend to be middle-ranked officers and appear to have positions as senior as battalion commanders.

The senior official said that struggles continue for Russian troops in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region due to unforeseen strong resistance from Ukrainian troops, The Post reported.

The official said that there is no sign of Russia attempting to mobilize additional troops in their country aside from those already focused on the war in Ukraine, The Post reported.

Detsch reported, citing intel from the Pentagon, that Russia has made "no significant progress" in the Donbas region.

And near Izyum, which lies between Kharkiv and Donbas, Russian troops had advanced just a "single-digit" number of kilometers, The Post reported.

The Institute for the Study of War said in its Sunday assessment of Russia's invasion that it believes Russian forces will continue with offensive efforts south of Izyum and with "westward advances from Donetsk" to trap Ukrainian troops in southern Kharkiv Oblast and Western Donetsk.