Former UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace claimed that Kiev is making progress in its counter-offensive. However, to achieve their objectives, President Vladimir Zelensky needs to deploy a larger number of younger Ukrainians into the conflict, while the Western nations supply them with the necessary weaponry to overcome Russia.

During the summer months, Kiev's military forces have been unsuccessful in making significant advances in the territory and have incurred substantial casualties in their attempts to breach Russia's fortified defenses. These defenses include extensive minefields, heavy artillery, and numerous drone attacks. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the death toll among Ukrainian servicemen has exceeded 83,000 since the initiation of the counteroffensive.

Nevertheless, Wallace is of the opinion that Ukrainian forces have been gradually adjusting their strategies, learning from their experiences, and making effective use of the equipment provided to them. He believes that Kiev's triumph is on the horizon as long as the government fulfills its responsibilities.

In an article published in The Telegraph on Sunday, Wallace said, “The average age of the soldiers at the front is over 40. I understand President Zelensky’s desire to preserve the young for the future, but… just as Britain did in 1939 and 1941, perhaps it is time to reassess the scale of Ukraine’s mobilization.”

In July, Wallace referred to Ukraine as a "battle lab" for the British military in a report presented to the parliament.

“Let us not pause for one day,” he stated on Sunday.

“The world is watching to see if the West has the resolve to stand up for our values and the rules-based system. What we do now for Ukraine will set the direction for all of our security for years to come,” he added. 

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Ukraine struggles to recruit troops and regain momentum

Alexander Titov of The Conversation has lately argued that despite Ukraine's claims that Putin will call for mobilization, it is in fact Kiev that is struggling to maintain its troops on the battlefield.

According to Titov, despite the large number of reservists the Kremlin can draw on, it is clear that another round of recalls would be very unpopular, especially in the run-up to the next presidential elections in May 2024.

Putin previously called nearly 300,000 men, 1% of the eligible reservists at the beginning of Ukraine's hyped counteroffensive. Ukraine's long-discussed counteroffensive is nearing its end without any significant progress, BBC concluded in a field report conducted at the east front lines in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian disinformation campaign has been suggesting that Putin will once again call for mobilization, even though this never occurred.

Spreading rumors about an impending Russian mobilization is clearly part of Ukraine's psychological warfare, but the more this is done without anything happening, the less credible it becomes.

Titov argued that it is Ukraine, on the contrary, that is struggling to recruit enough troops to regain momentum.

In addition, he added that Russia is intensifying its military production and may enter 2024 with more heavyweight weapons, ammunition, and troop experience. He finds it hard to fathom why Russia would choose unpopular mobilization when it can "withstand anything Ukraine and its Nato allies can throw at it?"

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