At the moment we are just missing 50% of the composition . Our legislation allows a serviceman to leave the military for family reasons. We received four times less soldiers than were released.
This was told to hromadske.ua by Ukrainian lieutenant colonel Oleksandr Yurin, part of the 7th rifle battalion of the 65th separate mechanized brigade of the ZSU (Armed Forces of Ukraine). According to him, 50% of the soldiers his unit needs are simply not provided by the state.
The military man talks about one of the big problems of Ukraine – the lack of enough mobilized and the lack of rotation in the army. According to Yurin, a large part of the soldiers did not go on leave, while at the same time there is no full replacement for the dead and wounded.
„If we talk about the current situation, we have 10-15% irreversible losses in the last month and a half on the contact line,”, the Ukrainian military said. The lieutenant colonel frankly tells that there is great fatigue in the personnel, as well as a lack of fighters. However, those who fight do so with the clear awareness that their country is counting on them.
„The average age of my fighters is 50 or older. The oldest is already 59. These are patriotic men who came to their TCCs (territorial centers) at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, this is the first wave of volunteers”, Yurin said.
„At such an age, the reaction slows down, there are questions about physical fitness. One has varicose veins, the second has kidney problems, the third has spine problems, and the fourth has heart problems. This is seen when you have to advance to a position 4-5 km and also carry ammunition and water for many days. However, the boys are reliable, they understand their duty”, he also shared.
For fighters who fight without rotations, vacation becomes the most cherished dream. Oleksandr Yurin himself was on vacation only once - last year, on his 50th anniversary. According to him, since February 2022, almost every soldier in the battalion has been on leave at least once. Who 5, someone 10, and someone 15 days — depending on family circumstances and the situation at the front.
Yurin says that the most demotivating thing for soldiers is not knowing when the war will end and whether they will be rotated by new recruits. In Kyiv, the new bill on the mobilization of military personnel has been discussed for months. The country's political leadership does not dare to announce a large-scale mobilization because it is an unpopular decision. However, the fatigue at the front is great, because a huge part of the soldiers there have been fighting for the third year without rotation.