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