Ukraine's manpower problems have been exacerbated by the movement of troops from the front lines of the war with Russia to invade Russian territory.
Ukrainian forces crossed the Russian border last week and seized more than 400 miles of territory in the Kursk region, a surprise attack that caught Moscow by surprise, but the troops sent to Kursk were diverted from other key locations, exacerbating Ukraine's already alarming manpower shortages for Russian troops on the front lines of the war. According to To the WSJ.
“We should have five or six, but we only have two or three,” a 45-year-old Army major stationed near the front line of the war in eastern Ukraine told the Journal, adding that shortages have become so severe that cooks and mechanics have also been brought in. “It's only a matter of time before the enemy finds a weakness.”
Ukrainian soldiers install additional protection on a Soviet-made T-72 tank in the Sumy region near the Russian border on August 12, 2024. (Photo by ROMAN PILIPEY/AFP via Getty Images)
A Ukrainian military commander told the Journal that his forces had as many soldiers as the Russians when they arrived in eastern Ukraine, but that the Russians now have a troop advantage of about 5 to 1. Only about a fifth of the dead and wounded have been replaced with new recruits, he said.
According to the WSJ, the average age of a soldier in Ukraine's infantry units is now over 40.
“The situation doesn't allow me to even apply for leave. I feel uncomfortable quitting,” the 46-year-old platoon leader told the Journal. “Once things calm down, I'll apply for leave.”
Further complicating the situation is Ukraine's lack of the military equipment it needs to take on Russia. Ukraine receives tens of billions of dollars' worth of military aid from the U.S. and Western countries, but that's not enough to counter Russia's military buildup, some members of a Ukrainian brigade on the eastern front told the Journal. Ukraine also has limited domestic arms production capacity, but Russia's defense industrial base is relatively stable and it receives support from other Western adversaries, including Iran and North Korea.
A Ukrainian tank crew takes a break while operating a Soviet-made T-72 tank in the Sumy region near the Russian border, during Russia's invasion of Ukraine on August 12, 2024. (Photo by ROMAN PILIPEY/AFP via Getty Images)
“The Russians have everything more than us: more men, more guns, more shells, more ammunition,” the 46-year-old Ukrainian military commander told the Journal. “In the end, we have no choice but to withdraw.”
Still, Ukraine's invasion of Kursk took Russia by surprise, forcing it to send thousands of troops to the region to regain control, U.S. officials said. said CNN: Ukrainian forces have reportedly seized more Russian territory in about a week than Russian forces did in eight months. According to In The Telegraph.
The question now is what Ukrainian forces in Kursk plan to do next. Senior Ukrainian officials recently said the invasion is aimed at forcing Russia to withdraw from Ukrainian territory it has occupied.
But US and Western officials privately told CNN they were concerned Ukrainian forces would not be able to hold onto Kursk for long.
The State Department, which is tasked with overseeing U.S. foreign policy, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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