Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Trump: We are very close to an agreement in the Middle East.
US President Donald Trump: I will most likely go to Egypt.
Russian agency: Russia will conduct a nuclear test if the US does
Al-Nakhalah: We are the rightful owners, and we must fight to retrieve our rights
Al-Nakhalah: The enemy and its allies must know that we can never surrender to their terms and diktats after all the sacrifices made
Al-Nakhalah: The prisoner exchange clause can be completed in the next few days, and thus we will have pulled the [explosion] fuse and removed the enemy's justifications for aggression
Al-Nakhalah: The Resistance has expressed its willingness to negotiate on the basis that there are items that can be dealt with positively, the first of which is the prisoner exchange item
Al-Nakhalah: Trump's plan entails the Palestinian people's declaration of complete surrender to the enemy
PIJ Secretary-General, Ziyad al-Nakhalah, in an address aired on Al Mayadeen: The Resistance is engaging in a fierce negotiating battle under the so-called Trump plan
Russian Federation Council approves joint military cooperation agreement with Cuba

'Poorly trained, poorly equipped', Ukraine plagued with troop shortage

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 21 Dec 2024 19:49
  • 1 Shares
4 Min Read

Ukraine's military is facing a severe manpower crisis, with an increasing number of elderly and unfit soldiers being drafted as the war nears its third year.

Listen
  • x
  • Tough decisions for Ukraine over shortage of frontline troops
    Ukraine troops along the front line near Chasiv Yar town in Donetsk, Ukraine, on October 30, 2024. (AP)

Ukraine's weak and fatigued army is becoming increasingly made up of elderly soldiers, according to The Guardian. As the country nears 3 years of war, an acute shortage of troops on the front lines has become a clear problem.

Ukrainian military recruiters have carried out several raids on restaurants and bars to apprehend fighting-age men, aiming to fill the ranks of a military already strained by widespread desertion.

To address its troop shortage, Kiev has been urging the West to provide more advanced military equipment, weapons, and ammunition while refusing US demands to decrease the service age. 

While Russia continues to find new recruits for its relentless gains, the Ukrainian army is finding trouble in replacing the vacancies at the front. In a series of interviews with Ukrainian commanders, they spoke anonymously to The Guardian to portray a bleak image of Ukraine's military effort.  

One soldier divulged that out of 90 people recently drafted, only 24 could properly function. "The rest were old, sick, or alcoholics. A month ago, they were walking around Kiev or Dnipro and now they are in a trench and can barely hold a weapon. Poorly trained, and poorly equipped."

According to two sources in air defense units, the front-line shortage has gotten so severe that the general staff has ordered already-depleted air defense units to give up additional personnel for infantry deployment.

One source said it was reaching a "critical" level and another described how "these people knew how air defense works, some had been trained in the West and had real skills, now they are sent to the front to fight, for which they have no training."

Related News

Iran interested in resuming nuclear talks: Lavrov

Russia voices concern over clashes between SDF, government forces

According to the source, commanders can utilize the orders to punish soldiers they dislike by sending them to the frontlines.

Last month, Mariana Bezuhla, an outspoken and controversial MP, alleged in a Telegram message that air defense forces were being relocated to infantry battalions, resulting in lower success rates for Ukraine when taking down Russian drones. 

Sources who spoke to The Guardian said the increased demand for transfers is making it difficult to manage the air defense units effectively. One source revealed, “I’m already down to less than half [of full strength]. In recent days the commission came and they want dozens more. I’m left with those aged 50-plus and injured people. It’s impossible to run things like this."

Mobilization has been a major challenge for Kiev over the past year, with squads of recruitment officers roaming the streets and handing out call-up papers. Men of conscription age have been prohibited from leaving the country and recruitment squads frequently confront hostility and abuse as they hunt for new conscripts.

A July study by the Kiev-based Razumkov Centre indicated that 46% of respondents agreed that there was "no shame in evading military service," while just 29% disagreed, indicating a shift in national opinions.

The situation has also strained the relationship with Washington as Zelensky and other officials routinely sought additional weaponry but were unable to gather the necessary troops to fill the ranks.

Last month, White House National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett stated that "manpower is the most vital need" that Ukraine now possesses. "We're also ready to ramp up our training capacity if they take appropriate steps to fill out their ranks," he stated. 

Ukraine increased its mobilization effort in April, decreasing the call-up age from 27 to 25, but the majority of Ukrainians, even those at the front, are hesitant to reduce it further, citing the need to protect the younger generation.

Many soldiers believe that delivering greater incentives and more training is the best method to increase mobilization rates rather than decreasing the call-up age. “It’s not about age, really, they need good conditions and motivation,” one soldier said.

  • Russia
  • Volodymyr Zelensky
  • war in Ukraine
  • Kiev
  • Ukraine
  • Vladimir Putin
Russia & NATO

Russia & NATO

As the Draconian Western-led sanctions on Russia exacerbate the economic crisis worldwide, and as Russian troops gain more ground despite the influx of military aid into Ukraine, exposing US direct involvement in bio-labs spread across Eastern Europe and the insurgence of neo-Nazi groups… How will things unfold?

Most Read

Tucker Carlson speaks at a memorial for Charlie Kirk, Sunday, September 21, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona (AP)

Tucker Carlson: Israeli officers gave orders on Iran inside Pentagon

  • Politics
  • 2 Oct 2025
A Hamas fighter in combat fatigues stands before the ceremony for the handover of Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, February 22, 2025 (AP)

Hamas responds to Trump plan, backs Gaza withdrawal, exchange

  • Politics
  • 3 Oct 2025
Mossad’s secret role in Aldo Moro’s 1978 murder revealed

Mossad’s secret role in Aldo Moro’s 1978 murder exposed

  • Politics
  • 5 Oct 2025
The Palestinian resistance and the people of Gaza showed that after combating Israeli aggression for two years, they remain victorious in the face of oppression (Mahdi Rteil/Al Mayadeen English)

Al-Aqsa Flood two years on, a tale of victory

  • Politics
  • 6 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
An Israeli armored vehicle moves on a street of a local market during a military raid in the West Bank refugee camp of Balata, Wednesday, October 8, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Israeli settlers kill Palestinian youth near Ramallah amid raids

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks during the Moscow format consultations on Afghanistan in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Iran interested in resuming nuclear talks: Lavrov

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva speaks during a news conference at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) headquarters in Washington, April 25, 2025 (AP)
Politics

IMF head flags US budget, Europe Defense spending challenges

Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, at UN headquarters (AP)
Politics

Meloni faces ICC complaint over Gaza genocide complicity with Israelis

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS