A year ago, the professionalism and rationality of the Armed Forces of Ukraine created a miracle, stopping the movement of a large enemy army and the capture of Ukrainian territories. Nowadays, it’s often said about the worsening of the quality of the army. There was information that the situation had changed so much that it even raised doubts about the possibility of the announced counterattack.
Losses of experienced soldiers
The Ukrainian side does not disclose the number of personnel losses even to its partners – the USA and the EU countries. This information is classified. According to average data provided by American officials, this number is at least 120 000.
The first factor that changed the profile of the Ukrainian army was the massive loss of experienced officers and privates. According to the military, there is a constant replenishment of the groups, but the difference between a soldier who participated in battles for six months and one who has just returned from training is catastrophic. Most of those who had real military experience are already killed or wounded.
Lack of ammunition
There is not enough ammunition and weapons for effective defense. The partners announced the provision of equipment; however, it comes with inconsistency. While one type of equipment arrives, the enemies have already destroyed the other. But for a massive counterattack, it is necessary to accumulate a certain resource of artillery, mortar shells, tanks, missiles, infantry fighting vehicles, etc. This only strengthens the criticism of the policy of delays, which led to tragic consequences and drained the resources of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
What can save?
Smart management can save the situation. Military leaders know the situation and try to act accordingly. The following points are important at this stage:
- Urgent training of military personnel who will be able to cover the shortage of experienced personnel.
- Purposefully keeping combat units away from current hostilities in order to accumulate weapons and gain experience for future attacks.
- Adequate perception of enemy forces. The situation in the Russian army is also getting worse. Firstly, 97% of the Russian army is already deployed in Ukraine, and secondly, experts compare Russia’s exhaustion from the war to the level of the First World War.
It is important to remember that even when the initiative is seized, the losses of the attacking party are 2-3 times more than those defending. Therefore, everything depends primarily on the actions of the military leadership and the mutually agreed actions of the partners.
